scholarly journals Pedagogical innovation in higher education and active learning methodologies – a case study

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreia Carvalho ◽  
Sergio Jesus Teixeira ◽  
Leonilde Olim ◽  
Sancha de Campanella ◽  
Teresa Costa

PurposeThe aim of this study is to obtain a broader knowledge of innovative pedagogical practices in higher education, by analysing the particular case of the Higher Institute of Administration and Languages (ISAL). The literature review reveals a gap in this scientific field, and filling this gap is as imperative as the need to articulate higher education with the Students' Profile by the End of Compulsory Schooling.Design/methodology/approachThis research adopts a qualitative methodological approach, in order to analyse the students and teachers' perceptions of the active learning methodologies implemented at ISAL. Data were collected from a closed-ended questionnaire, aimed at a population composed of students and teachers.FindingsThe literature review reveals a gap in this scientific field, particularly in Portugal. Filling this gap is as imperative as the need to articulate higher education with the Students' Profile by the End of Compulsory Schooling.Practical implicationsWith the adoption of this methodological approach, this research intends to verify not only whether the innovative pedagogical practices addressed in the literature review are implemented in this institution, but also to identify obstacles to their implementation. With regard to the results, several pedagogical innovation practices are already implemented, even though some limitations to their implementation are identified.Originality/valueThis research allows identifying indicators that are essential to outline an intervention plan in the pedagogical practices implemented at ISAL or other higher education institutions and contributes to assessing the current state of pedagogical practices in higher education.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Ferreira de Mello Silva ◽  
Eduardo Raupp de Vargas

Purpose This study aims to examine the extant literature to analyze the relationship between quality assurance (QA) and innovation in the higher education context. Design/methodology/approach This study selected 63 articles through a systematic literature review in Scopus and Web of Science databases and performed a descriptive and thematic synthesis-analysis on the sample. Findings The research identifies several perspectives discussed on QA systems covering experiences, criticisms and practice implications. The literature review shows there is no clear consensus on whether innovation in higher education institutions (HEIs) is fostered or hindered by QA processes. However, it seems that the likelihood of innovativeness and positive QA outcomes are directly linked to how these processes are managed in universities. Research limitations/implications This review highlights the university management concerns that emerge with QA issues as it is not yet clear to what extent innovation is actually promoted in scenarios where QA is applied. Hence, this literature review could be considered comprehensive but not exhaustive. Further studies are recommended to improve the understanding of how HEIs can both innovate and ensure quality at the same time. Originality/value The paper contributes to the existing body of knowledge by advancing the opportunities and challenges that HEIs face due to QA system features.


2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 305-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cathy Howlett ◽  
Jo-Anne Ferreira ◽  
Jessica Blomfield

Purpose This paper aims to argue that substantive changes are required in both curricula and pedagogical practice in higher education institutions to challenge dominant epistemologies and discourses and to unsettle current ways of thinking about, and acting in relation to, the environment. Central to such a shift, it is argued, is the need for higher education curricula to be interdisciplinary and for pedagogical practices to work to build capacities in students for critical and reflective thinking. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, a case study of our reflections is offered on a subject designed to promote capacities in students for critical and reflective thinking via an interdisciplinary approach. The paper uses data from student reflective essays and student course evaluations to make an argument for the success of this approach. Findings Genuine transformative learning can occur within a constructivist informed pedagogical approach to teaching for sustainability. Research limitations/implications Research implications are that genuine transformation can occur in students’ thinking processes (which the paper argues is critical for effective education in sustainability) with appropriately designed courses in higher education. Practical implications More effective environmental actors and thinkers, who can critically engage with the complexity of environmental problems. Social implications Social implications include a more effective and socially just higher education for sustainability Originality/value The authors know of no other narrative that addresses attempts to educate for sustainability using this approach.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thuy Thu Nguyen ◽  
Diep Ngoc Do

Purpose This study aims to investigate the structural relationships between pedagogy methods, creativity and entrepreneurial intentions. This study theorizes that work-integrated and active learning methods positively influence personal creativity, which in turn positively influences entrepreneurial intention. Moreover, entrepreneurial inspiration moderates the impact of creativity on entrepreneurial intentions. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 701 valid questionnaires from university students is used to investigate the proposed research model empirically. As the methodological approach, structural equation modelling with multigroup analysis is used. Findings The statistical results confirm the positive impacts of work-integrated and active learning methods on individual perceived creativity and of creativity on entrepreneurial intentions. Further, inspiration towards entrepreneurship moderates the link between individual creativity and entrepreneurial intentions. Originality/value This research fills the gap in the realm of examining the structural relationship among learning methods, creativity and entrepreneurial intentions in an emerging economy context. Specifically, this study confirms experiential teaching methods as important predictors of the development of students’ creativity capability and the moderating role of entrepreneurial inspiration in the relationship between perceived creativity and entrepreneurial intention. These results add to the academic literature on entrepreneurial intentions in emerging economies and provide new insights into how universities in emerging economies can foster the entrepreneurial intentions of their students.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 252
Author(s):  
Ha Duc Ngoc ◽  
Le Huy Hoang ◽  
Vu Xuan Hung

This study attempts to understand what is known about key theme findings in transforming education with emerging technologies in higher education by examining existing literature. Based on 5 selection criteria, 24 quality articles were included in the review. Thematic analysis methods are used to analyze and identify key themes in the data. The findings indicate that teachers who have used emerging technologies in teaching, they point out the key factors for transforming education with emerging technologies, including teachers' interest, institutional perspective, teachers' perceptions of the benefits of emerging technologies. They also report a dichotomy between the technologies used for teaching in higher education institutions and the technologies owned and used by students in social life as a major challenge. Teachers believe that the open communication and teamwork environment can be enhanced by using emerging technologies. Pedagogical innovation, empowering educators are essential requirements for teaching with emerging technologies. The 7 findings from this study should be used to guide initiatives for teacher career development to improve the effectiveness of education with emerging technologies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 883-908
Author(s):  
Na Li ◽  
Chad Matthew Laux ◽  
Jiju Antony

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to use a practical case study approach to demonstrate the power to use lean Six Sigma (LSS) to improve service process in a higher education institution (HEI). The paper also illustrated the barriers and challenges met and lessons learnt for the LSS adoption in this HEI. Design/methodology/approach Prior to the study, extensive literature review was conducted to understand various aspects of LSS in HE industry. The authors use a single descriptive case study as methodology to explain how DMAIC was applied within a HEI environment. Findings In this LSS case study, the team found HEI service process contains a large human behavior component, which dramatically increases the unpredictability of the entire service delivery process and increases the complexity of the process and the ability of the improvement team to identify the root cause. This case study demonstrates the numerous challenges will occur in working with the intangible factors that are both hard to recognize, quantify and rarely tracked by organization. Practical implications During the research, the pre-award service process was studied, data were recorded and various statistical tool and techniques were used to discover and resolve the root cause. The lessons learnt of the LSS adoption in this service process in HEI and the problems encountered were all recorded in this study, which will be helpful for future research in HEI industry. Originality/value From the literature review, LSS has been widely adopted in manufacturing industry, increased adoption in service, but there has been limited academic research about the implementation in nonprofit, service sectors, particular to higher education industry. The major benefit of implementation LSS in both manufacturing and service is considerable improvement to the bottom line. However, in this HEI case study, it has opened up the direction to implement LSS to better serve your customer as ultimate mission instead of financial gains.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Mac-lean ◽  
Luis Santiago Vargas ◽  
Gonzalo Uribe ◽  
Cristian Aldea ◽  
Lorna Lares ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a panoramic and systematic view of 10 Sustainable Campus Network (SCN) universities’ internal entities in charge of the sustainability effort – such as offices, committees, units, programs, or other, showing how some institutions have gained increasing deployment and momentum. However, their appearance and growth pathways have had significant disparities. Design/methodology/approach Global and local agendas have had a strong influence on Chilean higher education institutions. A relevant signal has been the creation of the SCN, formed by 21 Chilean universities, whose vision is to help shape a fair and environmentally healthy civilization contributing from the higher education realm. This work adopts a survey design methodological approach. It describes the following resulting components obtained from the aggregated data: (a) emergence processes and environments, (b) governance models and operational mechanisms, (c) networks and collaboration, and (d) final products generated, for sustainability governing entities within universities in Chile. Findings The main findings indicate that at the institutional level, the Cleaner Production Agreement for higher education institutions and the creation of the SCN have been key drivers in the formalization of several entities leading the sustainability efforts within Chilean universities. Also, regarding the degree of commitment to sustainability, the most active internal stakeholder corresponds to students. Originality/value The present work represents a pioneering effort in the Chilean context to identify and systematize the challenges, organizational structures, and key accomplishments of sustainability governing entities in higher education nationwide.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1249-1267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zulkaif Ahmed Saqib ◽  
Qingyu Zhang ◽  
Jin Ou ◽  
Khubaib Ahmad Saqib ◽  
Salman Majeed ◽  
...  

Purpose This study aims to determine the current state of implementation and effectiveness of education for sustainable development (ESD) in Pakistani higher education institutions (HEIs) using students’ and teachers’ perceptions of sustainability. Design/methodology/approach A survey on teachers and students was conducted in public and private universities in Punjab, Pakistan. Data from 1,915 students and 120 teachers were collected through semi-structured questionnaires implemented during face-to-face interviews. Students were asked to rank social, environmental and economic indicators of sustainability consciousness (SC) on a five-point Likert scale. Structural equation model and regression model are used to analyze the data. The perceptions of students and teachers were assessed from their knowledge of sustainability. Findings The occurrence of ESD in Pakistani HEIs is low and teachers have inadequate knowledge of sustainability. The holistic approach to ESD has a more pronounced effect on students’ SC as compared to the pluralistic approach to ESD. Also, there is a correlation between the students’ grades/class and the effectiveness of ESD. There is a need to pay more attention to implement ESD for undergraduate students in Pakistani HEIs. Originality/value The study stands out for using cross-sectional data from public and private universities of Pakistan. Furthermore, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study in Pakistan which attempts to investigate the effectiveness of ESD in terms of students’ SC.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gyan Prakash

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand the meaning and operationalisation of quality of service (QoS) in the context of higher education institutions (HEIs).Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review of 167 articles published in various peer-reviewed journals between 1990 and 2019 is performed.FindingsThe findings reveal that around 40 dimensions have been used to conceptualise QoS in HEIs. Reliability followed by responsiveness, tangibility, empathy, assurance, programme design, academic and non-academic processes, reputation and facilities have received the highest attention. The most popular approach is empirical, and surveys and single-context studies are the most popular methods. The United Kingdom (UK) leads research on quality in HEIs, followed by the United States of America (USA) and India.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper contributes to the body of knowledge by presenting a comprehensive synthesis of articles addressing QoS in HEIs.Practical implicationsPolicymakers and academic administrators can use the findings of this study to conceptualise student satisfaction along the educational value chain. The discussion on HEIs’ and students’ perspectives will help policymakers create teaching excellence.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the body of knowledge by presenting a unified synthesis of various strands of the literature on QoS in HEIs.


2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 1095-1110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaylene Murray

Purpose Over the past few decades, universities have been recognized as ideal leaders for the development of policies and innovative solutions required to support the transition to sustainable societies. As a major stakeholder group, students play a significant role in moving this agenda forward; however, their actions remain understudied in the sustainability in higher education (SHE) literature. Design/methodology/approach In response, this systematic literature review was conducted to determine what research has been done on student-led action for SHE. Findings Findings demonstrate that while students are an understudied stakeholder group, there is a growing focus in the SHE literature on their contributions. The results suggest that students are working to increase the uptake of SHE through multi-stakeholder collaborations, collective action and interdisciplinarity. This review identifies a lack of engagement with intersectionality (interrelated environmental and social issues) and highlights the need to redirect future SHE research, calling for increased comparative research studies and research syntheses to provide greater depth to our understanding of student-led initiatives. Research limitations/implications This literature review is limited by the smaller sample size of articles; however, conclusions can nonetheless be drawn from these results to guide future scholarship. Implications exist for theoretical contributions to social movement theories and theories of organizational change for SHE. Originality/value This research provides insight into student-led action for SHE and how their efforts might better be supported to encourage the increased integration of SHE.


2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 590-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blanca Lopez-Catalan ◽  
Victor A. Bañuls

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present the results of national level Delphi study carried out in Spain aimed at providing inputs for higher education administrators and decision makers about key e-learning trends for supporting postgraduate courses. Design/methodology/approach The ranking of the e-learning trends is based on a three-dimensional analysis that combines the cost of implementation, the impact of each trend on learning outcomes and the diffusion forecast among postgraduate courses in the time horizon. The authors use the Delphi method for managing an expert panel. Findings Mobile learning, gamification, social media and open education are found as some of the key e-learning trends that might have greater educational impacts in postgraduate programs in the next years. These results are expected to help educational institutions to plan future positioning strategies depending on their starting positions, resources and intentions to innovate. Originality/value Educational managers and planners need to identify priority issues and principal trends in higher education in order to raise their innovative offer and to maintain competitiveness. The results might help them. Moreover the indicator and the methodological approach is a novelty in the field.


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