Accelerating the implementation of SDG 4: stakeholder perceptions towards initiation of sustainable community engagement projects by higher education institutions

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lombuso Precious Shabalala ◽  
Sisa Ngcwangu
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Narrative Analysis ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Reciprocal Relationship ◽  
Stakeholder Perceptions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Community

Purpose This paper aims to present the results of an investigation on how a reciprocal relationship between the University of Mpumalanga (UMP) in South Africa and the surrounding communities can be used to accelerate the implementation of sustainable development goal 4 (SDG 4). The aim of this paper is to establish stakeholder perceptions on the role of higher education institutions (HEIs) in the development and implementation of sustainable community engagement (CE) projects geared towards the acceleration of SDG 4. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative methodology was adopted. This consisted of a presentation at UMP, an educational tour of the campus and discussion sessions with 3 education officials and 19 high schools representatives from Ehlanzeni District Municipality, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Content and narrative analysis were used to analyse the data obtained during the discussions. Findings The key findings indicate that a reciprocal relationship between HEIs and their surrounding communities can be used to accelerate the implementation of SDG 4 by positioning HEIs to take the lead with initiatives and implementation of CE projects. Research limitations/implications For HEIs to be in a better position to take a leading role in CE, they must guide without imposing, else it may lead to stakeholders losing interest. Practical implications The importance of a mutual working relationship between HEIs and communities becomes paramount, as it may lead to the realisation and acceleration of SDG 4 through CE. It is suggested that HEIs prioritise CE and also involve communities from the conceptualisation of any project. Originality/value The paper raises awareness and demonstrates the importance and possibilities of using CE towards the acceleration of the implementation of SDG 4 by HEIs.

The role of business intelligence in sustainability reporting for South African higher education institutions

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 1185-1203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andre Calitz ◽  
Samual Bosire ◽  
Margaret Cullen
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Business Intelligence ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Regulatory Compliance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Stakeholder Satisfaction ◽  
South African Higher Education

Purpose This paper aims to show that business intelligence (BI) is a key component of a sustainability-reporting framework for higher education institutions (HEIs). Design/methodology/approach Four questionnaires were administered to Registrars and managers at 21 South African HEIs and at selected international HEIs. The data analysis entailed both descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings The study confirmed that factors such as management buy-in, the availability of BI reports and the provision of reporting guidelines were positively related to effective strategic planning. The study shows that the use of BI by South African HEIs is still at a low maturity level. Research limitations/implications The case study used is the Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The implications are relevant for all 26 HEIs in South Africa. Practical implications HEIs must invest in technological tools, including BI to provide information in understandable and usable formats for management and other relevant stakeholders. Social implications BI reporting can assist all stakeholders to obtain the relevant and required information relating to HEI operations and strategic management initiatives and activities. Originality/value The study concludes that HEIs ought to invest in BI technologies that can assist the sustainability reporting process to ensure stakeholder satisfaction and regulatory compliance.

From Big Data to Big Impact: analytics for teaching and learning in higher education

2017 ◽  
Vol 49 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 321-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sushil S. Chaurasia ◽  
Anna Frieda Rosin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Big Data ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Predictive Analytics ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the applicability of Big Data in higher education institutions. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research approach using semi-structured interviews was employed to get insights from 23 experts from the Indian higher education sector. Respondents included higher education specialists from information technology, administration and academicians from public and private funded institutions. Findings Based on competitive advantage and data complexity, four major application areas were identified for the use of Big Data in higher education. These application areas are reporting and compliance; analysis and visualization; security and risk mitigation; and predictive analytics. Research limitations/implications Qualitative methodology is suitable to explain constructs and relationships between constructs, but it does not explain the magnitude of the relationships. The lack of Big Data experts in higher education constrained the ability of this research by leading to repeated themes. Finally, including participants from other countries would have assisted further in generalizing the findings. Originality/value As both interest and reluctance persists about Big Data, it calls for the application across industries and cost-benefit analyses. A number of researchers have studied the use of Big Data in various fields associated with the applicability, the data availability, the cost, the competence, the privacy, the relevance and the ownership. Very few publications explicitly address the integrative use of Big Data in higher education. So the current study examines the applicability of Big Data analytics in higher education institutions.

scholarly journals Insights and Current Debates on Community Engagement in Higher Education Institutions: Perspectives on the University of the Western Cape

SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 215824402110114
Author(s):  
Fred Bidandi ◽  
Anthony Nforh Ambe ◽  
Claudia Haking Mukong
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Standard Procedure ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
The University

This study investigated the insights and current debates on community engagement in higher education institutions with specific reference to the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in South Africa. The article argues that although community engagement seems to present some challenges, it has become an integral part of higher education in South Africa and beyond. The article examines community engagement in higher education institutions and evaluates its contributions based on the research question. The article evaluates community engagement from the perspective of the UWC, community, and students. Data were collected through semi-structured with key informants. In total, 12 participants participated in the interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The results of the study show that community engagement is dependent on institutions’ relationships built between particular communities, which are easily lost if the people involved change. The results also show that community engagement has become a requisite for promotion and policy development. However, it reveals that issues of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) often take time affecting students and researchers. Moreover, the findings indicate that there is no standard procedure for community engagement as departments, individual lecturers, and students have unique and different interests.

Challenges Posed by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for South African Higher Education Institutions

10.28945/2679 ◽  
2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
ME Herselman ◽  
HR Hay
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Revolutionary Change ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Teaching Learning

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are the major driving forces of globalised and knowledge-based societies of a new world era. They will have a profound impact on teaching and learning for two decades to come. The revolutionary change which is taking place in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), has dramatic effects on the way universities carry out their functions of teaching, learning and research, particularly on the creation, dissemination and application of knowledge. These developments pose unprecedented challenges to higher education institutions (HEIs) in developing countries particular in South Africa as South Africa is viewed as the leading country on the continent.

scholarly journals Teaching innovations in Asian higher education: perspectives of educators

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.M. Wong
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
The Other ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Advanced Technologies ◽  
The Many

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the teaching innovations that have been implemented in higher education institutions in Asia and the perspectives of educators on them. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 educators who were affiliated with 23 higher education institutions in ten Asian countries/regions. The interviews covered information about the teaching innovations of the participants’ institutions, the characteristics of the innovative practices and the participants’ views on them. The relationships between the characteristics of institutions and their teaching innovations were also examined. Findings The results showed that the teaching innovations included two main categories, namely, those which involved the use of advanced technologies and those which did not. The innovations that involved the use of advanced technologies were mainly from larger institutions, while the other category was mainly from smaller ones and had been practised for less than 1.5 years. Differences were also identified between the two categories in terms of the aims and importance of innovations, innovative features, the evaluation of innovations and improvements needed for them. Originality/value The results highlighted that technology is only one of the many aspects of teaching innovations, which is different from the view prevailing in the literature. They also suggested that differences in the scale of institutions (in terms of number of students) possibly influences the kind of teaching innovations adopted.

Strategies to promote sustainability in higher education institutions

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 1018-1038 ◽  
Author(s):  
Issa Ibrahim Berchin ◽  
Vanessa dos Santos Grando ◽  
Gabriela Almeida Marcon ◽  
Louise Corseuil ◽  
José Baltazar Salgueirinho Osório de Andrade Guerra
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Public Institution ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Federal Institute ◽  
Sustainability In Higher Education ◽  
Education Science ◽  
Education In Brazil

Purpose This paper aims to analyze strategies that promote sustainability in higher education institutions (HEIs), focusing on the case study of a federal institute of higher education in Brazil. Design/methodology/approach The research was based on a scientific literature review on sustainability in HEIs, to identify the recurrent actions for sustainability in these institutions; and a case study of a federal institute of higher education in Brazil, to illustrate how these actions are being implemented by HEIs. Findings Concerns about sustainability, prompted by the Brazilian federal legislature, led federal HEI to change its internal processes, infrastructure and organizational culture toward sustainability. Practical implications The findings presented in this study, more specifically the sustainability plan of the Federal Institute for Education, Science and Technology of Santa Catarina, aligned with the recommendations proposed, can be used and replicated in other HEIs. Originality/value Scientific literature about organizational changes led by sustainability concerns, in HEIs specifically, still needs more attention in the academia. By addressing the case of a Brazilian public institution of higher education, this paper contributes to the literature on sustainability in higher education by reporting the process of implementation of a sustainability plan.

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