Educating researchers in the metadiscipline of foresight

foresight ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 703-715
Author(s):  
James P. Kahan
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Educational Innovations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Disciplinary Boundaries ◽  
American Higher Education ◽  
The Past ◽  
Scientific Disciplines ◽  
Logical Type ◽  
The Usa

Purpose The science of Foresight differs from the commonplace notion of what a science is because it is a metadiscipline – a logical type of science higher than the logical type of disciplinary sciences. It is practical, uses transdisciplinary processes that combine scientific disciplines and often examines counterfactuals in a scientific manner. This study aims to demonstrate that Foresight is a science, by presenting a number of best practices and potential innovations in higher education that could facilitate obtaining skills for Foresight science. Design/methodology/approach The methods of scientific education that have served us well in the past are inadequate for metadisciplinary sciences such as Foresight. The paper discusses what metadisciplinarity is, using a variety of examples, and distinguishes it from disciplines and ways of crossing disciplinary boundaries. Understanding the essential characteristics of Foresight as a metadisciplinary science leads to identifying current best practices and possible educational innovations in undergraduate education that will facilitate obtaining Foresight skills. Throughout the paper, examples are drawn from the education and professional experience of the author in the USA and Europe. Findings This paper demonstrates that Foresight is a science and presents a number of best practices and potential innovations in higher education that could facilitate obtaining skills for Foresight science. It identifies barriers to those innovations and approaches to overcome them. Originality/value This viewpoint paper clarifies the meaning of the terms interdisciplinarity, transdisciplinarity and metadisciplinarity to identify the essential characteristics of Foresight as a science. Then, it identifies and advocates needed changes in North American higher education to provide earlier and more efficient opportunities for Foresight researchers and users to obtain the skills they need.

The working woman in higher education: reflections of the past, hope for the future

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Natalie Bulick ◽  
Susan Frey
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Female Faculty ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Color Experience ◽  
The Past ◽  
Scholarly Impact ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Faculty And Administrators

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on female faculty and administrators working in higher education, past and present. Design/methodology/approach Materials were selected based on scholarly impact and reputation of the author. Selections were then examined to assure varied perspectives and wide period coverage. Findings Throughout the past century, women have made tremendous strides in the pursuit of equity in the academic working environment. However, statistics and personal experiences indicate that much progress is still needed. Research limitations/implications This bibliography is limited to literature on working female faculty and administrators in the USA. It is intended to provide a broad overview of their past and present working conditions. Materials cover the Colonial period though the present. As such, a brief selection of materials available are included. Although there are much fewer resources that include the women of color experience, whenever possible materials are included. For the purpose of this review, the female student demographic is omitted. As there is a plethora of materials on this subject, it should be examined in a separate bibliography. Originality/value This bibliography provides students and scholars a brief introduction to research women in higher education which encompasses diverse voices, a wide historical range and contemporary materials.

Review of research for two decades for women leadership in higher education around the world and in Vietnam: a comparative analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Greeni Maheshwari ◽  
Rajkishore Nayak ◽  
Tu Ngyyen
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Women Leaders ◽  
Participation Rate ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Women Leadership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Leadership In Higher Education ◽  
The World ◽  
The Usa

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to find the studies conducted on women leadership in higher education (WLHE) in the past 20 years to understand as to how the trend has changed over the past two decades around the world and particularly in Vietnam for women leaders in higher education institutions. Design/methodology/approach This paper used a systematic review of 93 articles published in the past 20 years in WLHE. The articles were classified based on the country of research and the research methods used. Findings The study concluded that most of the research in WLHE had been done in the USA and Canada, with a dearth of literature on WLHE in Asia, and only six studies so far have been done in Vietnam, with only two studies being done before 2017. Vietnam is gaining importance in research in WLHE may be because of the increased female labour participation rate and growth in the gross domestic product. Practical implications This study provided some recommendations at the societal, institutional and individual levels, which can help in women empowerment and help women take up the leadership roles. Originality/value Although a variety of reviews have been conducted focusing on different areas in higher education, there is a small number of literature review studies in the field of women leaders in higher education, especially in Vietnam and Asia. Hence, the current study will add this missing part to the growing body of literature in WLHE.

Cross-culture outcomes of a brazilian professor Fulbright in the USA

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (50) ◽  
pp. 115
Author(s):  
Marcelo Da Silva Leite ◽  
Celeste Gaia
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cross Culture ◽  
College And University ◽  
Governmental Agencies ◽  
The Past ◽  
University Curriculum ◽  
Fulbright Scholar ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Higher Education Costs

Over the past decade due the expansion of globalization there has been an increasing emphasis on internationalization among faculty, administration and accrediting agencies in the Higher Education.  Although to promote internationalization in the Higher Education, costs are a big challenge, one way to have the international actions with low cost, it is seeking for grants from different governmental agencies and foundations.The Fulbright Scholar program provides a long-standing and externally-funded means for internationalizing college and university curriculum. This article is going to share the perspective   of a Brazilian Fulbright Scholar at an American college and the institution perspective of the Fulbright scholar participation at the College.

Engagement, inclusion, knowledge sharing, and talent development: is reverse mentoring a panacea to all? Findings from literature review

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanghamitra Chaudhuri ◽  
Sunyoung Park ◽  
Karen R. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Social Exchange ◽  
Social Exchange Theory ◽  
English Summary ◽  
Exchange Theory ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Member Exchange ◽  
The Usa

Purpose The purpose of this study is to systematically review the practice of reverse mentoring and draw a timeline of the research over the past two decades. Considering the novelty of this intervention, this paper proposed an agenda for future research on this burgeoning topic. Design/methodology/approach By adopting narrative literature review and Gregory and Denniss’ (2018) four-step process, this paper reviewed 54 studies grounded in conceptual, literature review and empirical research published between 1998 and 2020. Findings The articles included in the literature review on reverse mentoring research were summarized according to journal publications, research methodologies, contextual settings, theoretical framework, purpose and outcomes. Reverse mentoring studies are dominantly published in educational journals using primarily qualitative and conceptual approaches to explore both academic and business contexts within the USA and Europe. Theories frequently used to frame and examine the need of reverse mentoring included social exchange theory and leader-member exchange theory. The fundamental purpose of reverse mentoring research is to transfer knowledge and to bridge the technology divide between intergenerational groups. Reverse mentoring has been used to promote inclusivity between multiple generations in relation to gender, ethnicity and culture. Originality/value As per the knowledge, this is the first-ever comprehensive English summary of reverse mentoring research done in the past two decades. Findings from this research can be used to better understand reverse mentoring research trends and directions.

Benchmarking industrial engineering programs

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 1194-1212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anh Tuan Nguyen ◽  
Nguyen Vang-Phuc Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Resource Selection ◽  
Industrial Engineering ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Self Study ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Future Work

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the best practices of industrial engineering (IE) programs that could be learnt and used at other educational institutions. Design/methodology/approach Nine IE programs in the USA are benchmarked using a conceptual framework that considers an educational program as a system consisting of a purpose, a curriculum, resources, and quality processes. The information used in benchmarking is collected from the program self-study reports, course catalogs, and websites which are available on the internet. Findings It is found that in spite of their diversity in history, missions, sizes, and reputations, the studied programs are rather unified in terms of purpose definition, curriculum formation, resource selection, and quality process usage. From the analysis, a template of IE curriculum is proposed. Research limitations/implications As the selection of the studied programs is based on the availability of the information, the findings may not be representative for IE programs in the USA. Future work can aim at comparing IE programs from various countries. Practical implications The findings could be used as benchmarks by IE schools interested in the improvement of operations. Originality/value A conceptual framework for benchmarking is proposed and proves useful for comparing educational programs. The findings represent the current best practices at IE schools in the USA.

scholarly journals Provision of health care for prisoners during the COVID-19 pandemic: an ethical analysis of challenges and summary of select best practices

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Berkemeier Brelje ◽  
Debra A. Pinals
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Legal Principles ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Health Care Policies ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
Pandemic Response

Purpose This paper aims to analyze the COVID-19 pandemic response in prisons, focusing on the USA, which imprisons a higher percentage of its population than any other country in the world. Design/methodology/approach This paper evaluates the current pandemic response in prisons based on legal and ethical imperatives for providing health care to prisoners. Findings Themes of best practices identified include increasing rapid detection of new cases, reducing transmission and advocating for both short- and long-term ethical health care policies. Halting progress now could risk dire consequences and is unacceptable on legal, ethical and public health grounds. Research limitations/implications This paper does not involve primary research with prisoners; rather it focuses on reviewing the pandemic response in prisons. Although it may be possible to translate findings in this study to similar environments (e.g. jails and detainment centers), there are unique characteristics pertaining to each that deserve separate, focused analyses. Originality/value Outbreaks that occur within prisons are likely to spread to the community and vice versa. Analyses based on ethics, law and public health point to the same conclusion: preventing significant outbreaks within prisons will benefit not only prisoners but also the general public. Furthermore, even though the scientific understanding of the pandemic may change with future research, the ethical and legal principles highlighted in this paper will continue to be foundational when considering just care for prisoners.

Exploring the relationship between dispositions to think critically and sustainability concern in HESD

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry Shephard ◽  
Qudsia Kalsoom ◽  
Ritika Gupta ◽  
Lorenz Probst ◽  
Paul Gannon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Educational Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Higher education is uncertain which sustainability-related education targets should be sought and monitored. Accepting that something needs to be measurable to be systematically improved, the authors explored how measures relate to potential targets. This paper aims to focus on dispositions to think critically (active open-minded thinking and fair-minded thinking in appraising reasoning) as measures and explored how they related to sustainability concern as an indicative educational target. Design/methodology/approach This research included the development and testing of research instruments (scales) that explored dispositions to critical thinking and sustainability concern. Authors researched these instruments within their own correspondence groups and tested them with university students and staff in Pakistan, the USA, Austria, India and New Zealand. The authors also asked a range of contextualising questions. Findings Respondents’ disposition to aspects of active, open-minded thinking and fair-minded thinking do predict their concern about facets of sustainability but their strength of religious belief was an important factor in these relationships and in their measurement. Practical implications This research demonstrates the complexity of monitoring dispositions to think critically and sustainability concern in educational systems, particularly in circumstances where the roles of religious beliefs are of interest; and suggests ways to address this complexity. Originality/value This research integrates and expands discourses on ESD and on critical thinking in diverse disciplines and cultures. It investigates measurement approaches and targets that could help higher education institutions to educate for sustainable development and to monitor their progress, in ways that are compatible with their culture and values.

Do learning organizations learn? Higher education institutions and pandemic response strategies

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael T. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Organizational Behavior ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Institutional Leadership ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
The Usa

Purpose This study was designed to address the problem of how higher education institutions, as organizations designed to promote learning, responded to the COVID pandemic and the suspension of in-person instruction. The purpose of this paper was specifically to explore how institutions go about learning from the pandemic to better prepare themselves for the future that they will face. Design/methodology/approach A researcher-developed survey instrument was distributed electronically to 300 faculty leaders at randomly selected universities in the USA. With three follow-up e-mail requests, the survey had a 31% usable response rate. Findings Survey results indicated that institutional leadership did not make strong use of shared governance in responding to the COVID pandemic in creating operational response strategies. Further, institutions did not alter their policies or make structural changes to be more adept in facing the challenges of a global pandemic and its impact on the financial well-being of the institutions. Although institutions did make changes to their attitudes about students, these were not developmental changes but rather behavioral modification expectations. Originality/value This study drew upon data collected after the first three months of the global COVID pandemic, providing an important first-look at organizational behavior in response to a largely unplanned global event.

Exploring mentoring across gender, race, and generation in higher education

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sydney Freeman Jr ◽  
Frances Kochan
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
White Female ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mentoring Relationship ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Extensive Body ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine a long-term mentoring relationship between a White female from the Traditional Generation and an African American male from the Xennial Generation, as engaged in a mentoring relationship within higher education institutions in the USA. The study investigated if, how and to what degree the differences and similarities between them influenced their mentoring relationship. Design/methodology/approach The authors used an autoethnographic approach involving extensive questioning, dialoguing, note keeping and analysis over eight months. Findings The analysis suggested that race had the greatest influence on the relationship. The primary reasons for mentoring success were similarities in family backgrounds and commonly held values. Research limitations/implications This study may not be generalizable to mentoring relationships that do not involve cultural differences in race, age or gender. Practical implications The paper offers a model for the types of strategies individuals can use in cross-racial mentoring endeavors to help build and sustain these relationships. It also includes suggestions for individuals engaged in mentoring relationships, which include gender, race or age differences, and organizations seeking to enhance diversity within their institutions. Originality/value There is not an extensive body of research on individual cross-racial, gender and generational mentoring that provides an analysis of the experience of those involved. Additionally, the model presented for examining cross-racial mentoring relationships is unique.

Social studies without walls: engaging students in online collaboration across district lines

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 254-269
Author(s):  
Eric B. Freedman ◽  
Lauren Willigan ◽  
Randall Glading ◽  
Kristin N. Rainville
Keyword(s):  
Social Studies ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Urban Centers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Race And Class ◽  
The Past ◽  
Civic Dialogue ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Collaborative Activities

Purpose Intercultural dialogue and collaboration are critical to social studies education. Yet over the past 30 years, schools in the USA have grown increasingly segregated by race and class. The purpose of this paper is to offer a possible response based in digital technology. Design/methodology/approach The authors describe a project called Classes Without Walls that links elementary schools in wealthy suburbs with those in impoverished urban centers. Students at the two schools engage in collaborative activities through online video conferencing. Findings The authors explore two sample lessons in depth: a virtual town tour and a social demographics scavenger hunt. Originality/value Such activities, they argue, can contribute toward cultural understanding and civic dialogue.

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