Aspect-based sentiment analysis of reviews in the domain of higher education

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-64
Author(s):  
Nikola Nikolić ◽  
Olivera Grljević ◽  
Aleksandar Kovačević

Purpose Student recruitment and retention are important issues for all higher education institutions. Constant monitoring of student satisfaction levels is therefore crucial. Traditionally, students voice their opinions through official surveys organized by the universities. In addition to that, nowadays, social media and review websites such as “Rate my professors” are rich sources of opinions that should not be ignored. Automated mining of students’ opinions can be realized via aspect-based sentiment analysis (ABSA). ABSA s is a sub-discipline of natural language processing (NLP) that focusses on the identification of sentiments (negative, neutral, positive) and aspects (sentiment targets) in a sentence. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a system for ABSA of free text reviews expressed in student opinion surveys in the Serbian language. Sentiment analysis was carried out at the finest level of text granularity – the level of sentence segment (phrase and clause). Design/methodology/approach The presented system relies on NLP techniques, machine learning models, rules and dictionaries. The corpora collected and annotated for system development and evaluation comprise students’ reviews of teaching staff at the Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Serbia, and a corpus of publicly available reviews from the Serbian equivalent of the “Rate my professors” website. Findings The research results indicate that positive sentiment can successfully be identified with the F-measure of 0.83, while negative sentiment can be detected with the F-measure of 0.94. While the F-measure for the aspect’s range is between 0.49 and 0.89, depending on their frequency in the corpus. Furthermore, the authors have concluded that the quality of ABSA depends on the source of the reviews (official students’ surveys vs review websites). Practical implications The system for ABSA presented in this paper could improve the quality of service provided by the Serbian higher education institutions through a more effective search and summary of students’ opinions. For example, a particular educational institution could very easily find out which aspects of their service the students are not satisfied with and to which aspects of their service more attention should be directed. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study of ABSA carried out at the level of sentence segment for the Serbian language. The methodology and findings presented in this paper provide a much-needed bases for further work on sentiment analysis for the Serbian language that is well under-resourced and under-researched in this area.

Author(s):  
Olha Yeromenko

The article raises the topical issue of training competitive professionals capable of working under modern market conditions. The transition to market relations changes the education policy and the system of educational services provision. The professional destiny of a future manager and the success rate of an educational institution depend on the quality of providing educational services to graduate students specialised in educational institution management. The purpose of the article is to analyse the results of a survey of graduate students aimed at determining the status of educational services given within the specialty 073 "Management" (specialization "Educational Institution Management") in various higher education institutions of Ukraine. Monitoring the state of the educational services provided to graduate students majoring in educational institution management has been carried out on the basis of general scientific and empirical cognition methods: comprehensive study of quality training of master-course students, observation, survey in the form of questionnaires, analysis of graduate students’ responses, analogy. The criteria enabling graduate students to assess the quality of educational services provided by higher education institutions have been defined: the fundamental nature of training; level of knowledge and experience of teaching staff; organization of the educational process; culture and communication level of teachers; reaction of teachers and administration of higher education institution to further demands of graduate students, etc. On the basis of the analysis and generalisation of the processed material, the basic demands of master-course students majoring in educational institution management for increase in the level of educational services have been defined: decrease in theorising of educational material; practice orientation; increase in the use of interactive teaching methods by teachers; expansion of the list of optional courses; increase in opportunities for individual counselling at a convenient time; involvement of leading specialists, experts, experienced educational institution managers in teaching; improvement of facilities and resources of an institution; increase in the level of additional educational services provision in higher education institutions. According to the results of the study, it has been concluded that it is necessary to establish a flexible system of training master-course students majoring in educational institution management.


Author(s):  
Валентина КРУПА ◽  
Ірина ЛОБОДА

The article reveals the content of the defined in the study pedagogical conditions of training physical rehabilitation specialists in higher education institutions. The features and impact of these conditions on the quality of training of specialists as one of the main elements of the fundamental basic components of improving the educational process in an educational institution are briefly presented. Various aspects of training future specialists in physical rehabilitation are presented in the works of national and foreign scientists. The study of the issues of forming the professional competence to physical rehabilitation specialists is one of the topical areas of interdisciplinary research, both in our country and abroad. Methodological and theoretical aspects of the development of personal professional competence have been considered by scientists of different generations. The authors focus on the fact that the reform of higher education and Ukraine’s entry into the European educational and scientific space is due to increasing demands on the professionalism of graduates of higher education institutions in a competitive market environment. Orientation on the development of the student as a personality, individuality and active subject of professional activity can be realized only on the humanistic and democratic basis of pedagogical activity in higher education institutions.In the process under study, there is a whole set of contradictions that require a constructive solution. In order to eliminate these contradictions, there was conducted a study and worked out the pedagogical technology to improve the formation of professional competence to physical rehabilitation specialists. The authors made appropriate conclusions about the participation of the teaching staff for improving this process and the features of the psychological readiness of students for their future profession.


2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 652-666 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke ◽  
Clinton Ohis Aigbavboa ◽  
Marcia M. Raphiri

Purpose There are several types of accommodation available to students of higher education institutions, and it is the responsibility of the institutions to focus on factors that can attract and retain students to their residences. This study aims to investigate satisfaction of higher institutions students with on-campus accommodation with an emphasis on the ethnicity of the students. Design/methodology/approach Using convenience sampling method, questionnaires were administered to students of selected residences in the study area. Mean item score was used to rank identified factors, whereas mean gap and Kruskal–Wallis K-test were adopted to examine the difference in opinion of students from various ethnic groups. Findings Overall, major features that make students dissatisfied with university-owned accommodations are enforcement of rule that compels all students to move out with their belongings during each recess, the effectiveness of the lift system, the size of wardrobe and closet, laundry service in the residence, numbers of electrical sockets and window quality. Considering dwelling unit features, neighbourhood, environmental, building quality and services provided by residence management, this study reveals that there is a significant difference in the satisfaction of students of diverse ethnic groups with their accommodation. Research limitations/implications The study was limited to on-campus residences owned by higher education institutions in South Africa. However, the findings of the study can be adopted for off-campus residences, and such owned by private individuals, agencies and other bodies provided are approved by the institutions. Originality/value The findings of this study will help management of higher education institutions to improve quality of services in their residences for the satisfaction of their students. Developers, contractors and other stakeholders involved in construction of these residences will also find the findings useful in designing and construction of the facilities.


2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evangelos Psomas ◽  
Jiju Antony

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the main total quality management (TQM) elements adopted and the respective results achieved by higher education institutions (HEIs) in Greece. Design/methodology/approach A research study was designed and carried out in private sector Greek HEIs. Fifteen HEIs were approached through interviews based on a structured questionnaire. The measured variables of the TQM elements and results identified in the literature were used as the questionnaire items. Descriptive statistics were applied to determine the TQM elements mostly adopted and the results achieved by the HEIs. Findings According to the findings, the TQM elements mostly adopted by the Greek HEIs concern the following: student focus, leadership and top management commitment, strategic quality planning, process management and teaching staff and employee involvement. On the other hand, the most significant results achieved by the sample HEIs concern quality performance improvement, teaching staff and employee satisfaction, operational performance improvement and the positive impact on society. Research limitations/implications The subjective data collection involved chief executive officers of a small sample of HEIs operating in a European Union country. Thus, no advanced statistical methods could be applied. Based on these limitations, future research studies are recommended. Practical implications By focusing on specific TQM elements, an HEI can develop a robust TQM model, approach business excellence, which can, in turn, help the HEI apply for appropriate quality awards, and finally derive significant benefits. In doing so, an HEI can lay the foundations for being competitive in the current global context that is characterised by an economic downturn. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by empirically determining the TQM elements mostly adopted as well as the respective results achieved by Greek HEIs in a period of economic downturn. This is the first research study in the field of TQM in higher education that has been carried out in Greece in a period where many service organisations, whether private or public, are making significant efforts to withstand the current downturn and achieve a sustainable growth.


Author(s):  
Jing Lu ◽  
Chad Laux ◽  
Jiju Antony

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate whether a Lean Six Sigma (LSS) leadership model could be effectively utilized to resolve efficiency and effective issues like rising costs, quality of education, graduation and retention rates encountered in higher education institutions (HEIs) in the modern era. Design/methodology/approach The authors systematically reviewed the literature on key concepts of LSS and leadership in HEIs in to develop a theoretical model using an inductive theory-building approach in accordance with the exploratory nature of the study. Findings The results of the study proposed a conceptual LSS leadership framework, which provides a basis for testing of LSS leadership representations in HEIs. The results suggest that LSS leadership has advantages for HEI to overcome currents issues and challenges. Research limitations/implications This research is a theoretical study based on the existing literature that identified characteristics that may be adopted in higher education. The proposed LSS leadership framework is based upon leadership, statistical thinking, continuous change and improvement. This model is based upon service and the concepts of adaptive, rather than technical work, of leaders in higher education. Practical implications The proposed LSS leadership framework brings new aspects and perspectives of leadership in HEIs. LSS leadership model has its practical meaning in providing a fundamental base for HEIs to overcome challenges, fulfill missions, and sustain improvements. Social implications HEIs are a foundation for principles of democracy, equality and diversity. HEIs have been a path for citizens but HEIs are facing challenges that are reducing the ability of individuals to improve themselves. Leadership of HEI needs to incorporate new principles to adapt to a changing society. Originality/value LSS project leaders have achieved improved bottom line results and customer satisfaction in a wide range of industries, but LSS application in the HEIs remains to be explored. This paper proposes an effective LSS leadership model, which can help improve the quality of education, reduce non-value added costs and enhance operational efficiency of HEIs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. V. Myalkina

Introduction: the problem of diagnostics of the quality of education at a higher education institution is becoming increasingly relevant in the conditions of the need to fulfill the criteria for the effectiveness of higher education institutions, the introduction of new generation standards in higher education institutions and the modernization of the educational program management system. Diagnostics of the quality of education is considered as an important process that ensures a steady position of the university in the educational services market, the  growth of indicators for the admission campaign,  the increase of reputational capital. Diagnostics of the quality of education makes it possible to identify significant factors in determining the prospects for the development of a university, having a significant impact on the performance indicators of a university and characterizing the results achieved and the resources used.Materials and Methods:the article discusses the system for the quality of education evaluation at Minin University, it describes its key components, reveals the elements of the diagnostic complex and their systemic interconnection. The characteristics of the elements of the diagnostic complex describes in detail the issue of improving the efficiency of the university in terms of the implementation of the management model of the main professional educational programs, the description of the diagnostic procedure for each category of participants in the educational process is presented.Results:the author describes the methodology and the main stages of diagnosing the quality of education at the university using the example of  Minin University, gives integrated assessment criteria and their relationship with other elements of the monitoring system and evaluating the quality of education at the university, lists the effects of introducing a comprehensive system for diagnosing the quality of educational activities.Discussion and Conclusions:in the final part of the article, the possibilities of further improving the system of assessment of the quality of education in the educational system of higher education are considered. Arguments about the need to further expand the range of issues raised by the diagnostic process are made; the ratio of the existing positions of the university to the requirements of the legislation is made. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 547-565
Author(s):  
Svetlana Yu. Golovina ◽  
◽  
Olesya V. Shcherbakova ◽  

Introduction. Working conditions of the teaching staff of higher education institutions are not static, as they reflect the changes taking place in the outside world. The increase in the role of informatization, the acceleration of the information flow, the changing of the information field, the introduction of scientometric indicators, the recognition of the impact of stress in the workplace on the health of an employee – all this accompanies the work of the teaching staff. The analysis of these phenomena makes it possible to single out three large groups of working conditions for the teaching staff of higher education institution, which today are undergoing changes, to identify the prerequisites for their occurrence and to formulate their consequences for the entire educational process. The purpose of the study was to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the working conditions of higher education teachers, which are currently undergoing changes. Methods and methodology. The work used the methodology of a comprehensive study, including methods of document analysis, comparative analysis, secondary use of sociological, economic and medical data. The results of the study show that the digitalization of vocational education, including higher education, is carried out in different conditions than the digitalization of schools, which leads to the emergence of a new paradigm of interaction between higher education teachers and students. As a result of research, the absence of a centralized acquisition of skills in the use of digital technologies by teachers was confirmed: 45% of respondents carry out advanced training on their own, 41% – using online platforms, 31% – ask for help from colleagues in their educational institution, 30% – exchange experience with colleagues from others vocational institutions. In the absence of legislative regulation of the issue of mastering new digital competencies by the teaching staff of higher education institutions, the ways of solving this issue are proposed. The results of the research revealed that meeting the scientific productivity requirements for the teaching staff is one of the main sources of stress in the workplace (40% of respondents). It is concluded that in order to achieve quality indicators in the field of scientific activity, in order to prevent opportunistic behavior of the teaching staff, higher education institutions need to develop tools of internal motivation. The authors believe that an integrated approach to regulating the emotional burnout of teachers could also be applied in relation to minimizing the risks of professional burnout, that is, to adopt acts of legal regulation at the federal and local levels in order to prevent professional burnout.


2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 219-238
Author(s):  
María del Carmen Arrieta ◽  
Beatrice Avolio

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that impact the quality of the education service in a Peruvian private university, based on the perception of students and graduates. Design/methodology/approach The sample consisted of 29 students and 20 graduates from the Administration and Finance Program of a Peruvian private university. The data was collected through focus groups and in-depth interviews based on the students’ and graduates’ perspectives of their experiences. The collected data was subjected to content analysis. Findings The study identified ten factors or the underlying dimensions that drive the quality of the education service provided by a Peruvian private university. The factors are professors, lecturers, curriculum, extracurricular activities, position and recognition of the university, infrastructure, library, admission, adequate communication mechanisms with faculty and authorities and services. The main quality indicators of the education service were the professors and curriculum planning. As the students were using the education service, they were more focused on “how” they received the service, rather than “what” services they received, i.e. they evaluated the quality of the process. In contrast, graduates gave more importance to functional service quality. They evaluated the quality of “what they received,” i.e. the result. Research limitations/implications The study has several limitations. First, the qualitative approach does not allow generalizing data. The sample size was relatively small and only involved one Peruvian private university. The study was based on the respondent’s perceptions, which were considered accurate. Practical implications Based on the study findings, the authors made recommendations to meet the needs of the students and graduates. These findings can help universities to develop strategies that improve educational quality and to allocate resources more effectively. Further research could focus on factors that impact service quality in higher education at different stages of the student lifecycle, namely, applicants (service expectations), students (quality of the process) and graduates (results). The authors suggest validating these results quantitatively. Originality/value The study proposes a framework of the higher education service quality based on the experiences of students and graduates that can be used by higher education institutions to continue improving educational quality. The originality of the study lies in the perspective on service quality according to the experiences of students and graduates. Also, this study provides empirical evidence on service quality research in Latin American higher education institutions.


Author(s):  
Laura Fedeli ◽  
Pier Giuseppe Rossi ◽  
Lorella Giannandrea

This chapter deals with four different case studies represented by graduate and post-lauream courses run at the Department of Education, Cultural Heritage and Tourism at University of Macerata (Italy). These cases synthesize the research developed in the last 10 years by the teaching staff who have promoted the activation of e-learning in the institution. The choice to present different contexts, from blended solutions where face-to-face courses are integrated with online environments to fully online courses, is framed in a new pedagogical perspective; that is, the need to focus on the methodologies and strategies is recognized as successful in e-learning in order to improve the quality of traditional instruction developed in the presence of higher education institutions. This process shifts attention from “quality of e-learning” to “quality through e-learning.” In fact, the differentiated and flexible use of technologies is aimed at helping students become more involved in the educational setting and to help them contextualize their studies more effectively.


2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 176-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yazid Mati

PurposeHigher education is a complex system that involves multiple inputs and outputs, where various activities and processes are performed. The purpose of this paper is to monitor the input resources used for executing various activities of higher education institutions. These resources are classified into three types: human resources, physical resources and financial resources.Design/methodology/approachThe author examines various national and international accreditation standards to determine their requirements for key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor input resources. Moreover, the author uses implications proposed by previous research and best practices.FindingsA set of appropriate and generic KPIs is developed for each type of these resources leading to a total of 72 key indicators. These indicators are easy to measure, which makes them practical to be adopted by a large scale of institutions.Practical implicationsThe proposed indicators provide adequate information to administrators and policy-makers, accrediting bodies and stakeholders to identify the progress and achievements. These indicators are also used for benchmarking purposes by comparing the institution’s performance against their comparable institutions counterparts. Moreover, they are used for marketing purposes to commercialize the institution by attracting prospective students and teaching faculty in addition to increasing current students’ satisfaction.Originality/valueThe paper gives special attention to developing a set of generic KPIs for assessing the availability and quality of input resources used for carrying out various activities of higher education institutions for the aim of improving their performance and hence helping them comply with the requirements of accreditation standards.


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