scholarly journals A study of higher education students' self-perceived digital competences for learning and everyday life online participation

2020 ◽  
Vol 76 (6) ◽  
pp. 1413-1458
Author(s):  
Konstantina Martzoukou ◽  
Crystal Fulton ◽  
Petros Kostagiolas ◽  
Charilaos Lavranos
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Identity Management ◽  
Student Survey ◽  
Digital Competence ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Everyday

PurposeAn increasing amount of research and debate has emerged over the last few years, emphasising the need for developing digitally competent, literate, able, skilled, capable people within a constantly changing technological and online environment. Existing definitions and perspectives in this area go beyond the use of technological tools or media for the creation of a digital literacy mindset, which develops throughout one's life. However, Higher Education strategies have not yet caught up with this agenda.Design/methodology/approachA student survey with Library and Information Science students from three higher education institutions in Scotland, Ireland and Greece was conducted as a basis of empirical data to support the theoretical propositions of the study. The survey centred on the technical and higher-level digital competences of students and drawing from students' self-perceived digital competences for learning and for the everyday life digital context, addressing e-leisure, e-learning, e-democracy, e-government and e-health activities. The survey critically enabled students to assess digital competences from their perspectives as digital participants.FindingsStudents' self-assessment of digital competences were lacking in a number of areas, which involved the development of information literacy, digital creation, digital research and digital identity management. In addition, students' digital competences were found to be linked to previous experiences within the everyday life digital environment. The higher the self-perceived digital competence levels of students were on the basis of dealing with everyday life digital tasks, the more likely they were to also develop high self-perceived digital competence in other digital areas related to their education.Originality/valueHigher education has not fully embraced digital competences as a core, fundamental literacy which addresses both technology mastery and a digital citizenship mindset. As emerging models begin to challenge traditional teaching and learning paradigms, with global connectivity and personalised approaches, existing digital divides may be further accelerated. This requires revisiting digital competences with emphasis on the diversity of the contexts where it develops and of the learners involved, in the overall continuum of learning for life.

A review of research on teacher competencies in higher education

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charalampos Dervenis ◽  
Panos Fitsilis ◽  
Omiros Iatrellis
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Learning Theories ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Teacher Competencies ◽  
Digital Competence ◽  
Holistic Model ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to thoroughly assemble, analyze and synthesize previous research to investigate and identify teaching staff competencies derived from the roles and tasks attributed to university professors. Design/methodology/approach In this literature review, the authors looked at both the conceptual framework exploring the educational concepts and the learning theories focusing on teaching staff roles and competencies in higher education. Thirty-nine scientific papers were studied in detail from a total of 102 results, which were eligible based on the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses statement. Findings A multi-dimensional approach to teacher competencies in higher education was proposed, which consists of six main dimensions with their respective characteristics. Thirty-two discrete teaching staff competencies were identified and distributed in the aforementioned dimensions. The research revealed that specific competencies, such as the digital competence of teachers, which have lately become of high importance worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic implications, surprisingly, until recently, they were considered secondary in the educational process. Research limitations/implications The study was based on the existing literature without using data drawn from an appropriate questionnaire addressed to students and/or interviews with academics. In addition, in an effort to maintain a homogeneous base of teacher competencies, inclusion of domains of expertise was avoided. Further research should focus on designing and developing a holistic model using analytical learning approaches that will contribute to the assessment of teachers’ competencies and explore the relationship of these competencies to students’ academic achievement, contributing quality to higher education. Practical implications A specific framework of teacher competencies in higher education, in practice, can be a useful reference point not only for ensuring quality in the selection of teachers and their career-long professional development but also for national education policy strategies. The definition of teacher competencies framework contributes to facilitating effective dialogue for the evaluation and quality assurance in education between agencies, authorities, researchers, teachers, policymakers, education managers and different communities at large. Social implications These competencies are at the heart not only of the teaching and learning process but also in the workplace and in society in general and are increasingly recognized as essential. An adequately prepared community and management equipped with the required employee competencies is able to react immediately and in a positive way to any obstacle, yielding optimal results. Originality/value This is the first review, to the authors’ knowledge, to comprehensively explore the literature to identify, classify and rank the teaching staff competencies in higher education, revealing the gap between perceived and actual importance of various competencies.

scholarly journals An assessment of the interplay between literacy and digital Technology in Higher Education

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahrokh Nikou ◽  
Milla Aavakare
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Intention To Use ◽  
University Staff ◽  
Willingness To Use ◽  
The Impact

AbstractDigital technologies fundamentally transform teaching and learning in higher education environments, with the pace of technological change exacerbating the challenge. Due to the current pandemic situation, higher education environments are all now forced to move away from traditional teaching and learning structures that are simply no longer adaptable to the challenges of rapidly changing educational environments. This research develops a conceptual model and employs Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) using Partial least Squares (PLS) to examine the impact of information and digital literacy on 249 Finnish university staff and students’ intention to use digital technologies. The findings show the complex interrelationship between literacy skills and digital technologies among university staff and students. The results illustrate that information literacy has a direct and significant impact on intention to use; while, unlike our expectation, digital literacy does not have a direct impact on the intention to use. However, its effect is mediated through performance expectancy and effort expectancy. The authors suggest that to understand the changes that are taking place in higher education environment, more attention needs to be paid to redefining policies and strategies in order to enhance individuals’ willingness to use digital technologies within higher education environments.

ДЕЯКІ АСПЕКТИ РОЗВИТКУ ЦИФРОВОЇ КОМПЕТЕНТНОСТІ ФАХІВЦІВ З НЕФОРМАЛЬНОЇ ОСВІТИ ПРИ ПЕРЕХОДІ В ОНЛАЙН-ФОРМАТ

2020 ◽  
pp. 5-15
Author(s):  
Зоя Гаркавенко
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Vocational Education And Training ◽  
Research Review ◽  
Review Journal ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Digital Competence ◽  
Information Technology Education

У статті презентовані результати емпіричного вивчення проблеми адаптації професійної освіти до онлайн-режиму в ситуації вимушеного карантину. Мета дослідження полягала в створенні моделі компетенцій викладача / тренера для забезпечення освітньої діяльності онлайн. Обставини гостро актуалізували нагальну потребу забезпечення безперервності освітньої діяльності в нових умовах, показали реальний стан психологічної готовності фахівців освітянської галузі до діяльності в умовах невизначеності. Ключовими ознаками цього стану можна вважати певну фахову та психологічну дезорієнтацію, яка поставила під загрозу якість і сталість результатів освітньої діяльності. Фахівці формальної й неформальної освіти були змушені швидко адаптуватися до нових умов, в основі яких – цифрова трансформація. Фокус уваги нашого дослідження зосереджено на фахівцях, які працюють у сфері післядипломної освіти. Важливим аспектом досліджуваного питання є певна плутанина щодо сутності онлайн-навчання. Це стосується різнотлумачення у середовищі фахівців поняття «дистанційне навчання», зокрема розрізнення синхронного (в режимі реального часу) і асинхронного (у відкладеному часі) режимів освітнього процесу. Принципові відмінності у підходах до методів та психологічних технологій їх застосування вимагають особливої підготовки відповідних фахівців. Результати презентованого дослідження розкривають ряд психологічних труднощів, з якими зіткнулись фахівці післядипломної освіти в ситуації необхідності переведення діяльності в онлайн-режим. В першу чергу, це навчальна діяльність із питань підвищення кваліфікації, проведення навчальних курсів для дорослої аудиторії. Важливим завданням для викладачів / тренерів постало збереження сутнісних ознак і результатів такого навчання: інформація, інструментарій і досвід, які наявні в офлайн-режимі навчання. Основним результатом дослідження можна вважати визначення ключових напрямів психологічної підготовки фахівців до роботи в онлайн: психологічна готовність до управління груповою динамікою та обмеженими комунікаційними інструментами, цифрова компетентність – володіння специфічними цифровими навичками (платформи, програми, окремі інструменти роботи в онлайн), методична компетентність – здатність добирати та поєднувати прийоми й техніки роботи з інформацією, адаптовані до онлайн-середовища. Література Василенко, О.В. (2014). Розвиток системи неформальної освіти дорослих в умовах соціально-економічної кризи. Актуальні проблеми професійної орієнтації та професійного навчання в умовах соціально-економічної нестабільності, 2(2), 138– Ващенко, Л.І. (2019). Підготовка фахівців для роботи з дорослими у сфері неформальної освіти. Імідж сучасного педагога, 4(187), 24– Корбут, О.Г. (2017). Дистанційне навчання: моделі, технології, перспективи. Режим доступу: http://confesp. fl. kpi. ua/ru/node/1123. Плинокос, Д.Д., & Коваленко, М.О. (2016). Неформальна освіта: теоретичні аспекти і наукові підходи. Наукові праці Кіровоградського національного технічного університету. Економічні науки, 29, 53–60. Сисоєва, С.О., & Осадча, К.П. (2019). Стан, технології та перспективи дистанційного навчання у вищій освіті України. Інформаційні технології і засоби навчання: електронне наукове фахове видання, 70(2), 271– Harasim, L. (2000). Shift happens: Online education as a new paradigm in learning. The Internet and higher education, 3(1-2), 41– Iordache, C., Mariën, I., & Baelden, D. (2017). Developing digital skills and competences: A quick-scan analysis of 13 digital literacy models. Italian Journal of Sociology of Education, 9(1), 6– Kebritchi, M., Lipschuetz, A., & Santiague, L. (2017). Issues and challenges for teaching successful online courses in higher education: A literature review. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 46(1), 4– Latchem, C. (2014). Informal learning and non-formal education for development. Journal of Learning for Development, 1(1). Sun, A., & Chen, X. (2016). Online education and its effective practice: A research review. Journal of Information Technology Education, 15, 157– Lischewski, J., Seeber, S., Wuttke, E., & Rosemann, T. (2020). What influences participation in non-formal and informal modes of Continuous Vocational Education and Training? An analysis of individual and institutional influencing factors. Frontiers in psychology, 11, 2821. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.534485 Rodríguez, M.U., Cantabrana, J.L.L., & Cervera, M.G. (2020). Validation of a tool for self-evaluating teacher digital competence. Educación XX1, 24(1), 353–373. doi: 10.5944/educXX1.27080 Perez-Lopez, E., Atochero, A.V., & Rivero, S.C. (2020). Distance Education in COVID-19: An Analysis from the perspective of university students. Ried-revista iberoamericana de educacion a distancia, 24(1), 331–350. doi: 10.5944/ried.24.1.27855

Transforming higher education in Ghana in times of disruption: flexible learning in rural communities with high latency internet connectivity

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Harry Barton Essel ◽  
Dimitrios Vlachopoulos ◽  
Dickson Adom ◽  
Akosua Tachie-Menson
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Cell Phone ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Internet Connectivity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Video Teleconferencing ◽  
A Cell

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the characteristics and potential effects of teaching and learning through audio teleconferencing (dial-in) with a cell phone. In addition, the study aims to identify the associations between the audio teleconferencing and video teleconferencing in a 12-week postgraduate course. Design/methodology/approach The study is a cross-sectional survey conducted at the Department of Educational Innovations at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology from March to June 2020. The purposive sampling technique was used to sample 100 postgraduate students who registered for a course in the department. The data for the study were collected using the System Usability Scale (SUS) and 17-item self-administered eQuestionnaire. Multiple Linear Regression analysis, ANOVA, Independent sample T-test and Mann–Whitney U-test were used to estimate the differences in course achievements of students who experienced education through audio teleconferencing and those who experienced education through video teleconferencing. Findings In total, 59% of the participating postgraduate students chose to attend the synchronous online lectures via audio teleconferencing (dial-in). The participants gave a high SUS score (SUS > 80.3; Grade A; Excellent) for audio conferencing service. Among the students in the audio teleconferencing cohort, the results evidenced a strong positive linear correlation, (r (57) = 0.79, p < 0.05), between the individual adjective ratings and the SUS scores. There was marginal significance among demography of students in the audio teleconference (AT) cohort with regards to their perception about the dial-in lecture. There was no statistically significant difference, (t (98) = 1.88, p = 0.063), in the achievement test for AT students and video teleconference (VT) students. The instructors and the students were satisfied with the AT. Practical implications Based on the students’ preference, AT offers equal benefit as VT with regards to system satisfaction and perceived quality of online teaching. AT, as teaching modality, should be an option for students who reside in communities with high latency internet connectivity. It is recommended that instructors are trained on how to engage and motivate students via AT. Originality/value Higher education institutions in Ghana are facing decisions about how to continue learning and teaching through flexible pedagogy, while keeping their faculty members and students protected from the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these institutions have canceled the brick-and-mortar education and other conventional learning practices and have instructed faculty to adopt online teaching through synchronous video teleconferencing platforms. However, the learning experience is not the same for students who reside in remote or rural communities with low bandwidth. There is very little research in this topic, especially in developing countries like Ghana, and the present study aims to bridge the gap in the literature by exploring the characteristics and potential effects of teaching and learning through audio teleconferencing (dial-in) with a cell phone, in the context of a 12-week postgraduate course.

Influence of active methodologies: projects and cases in the development of digital competences with mobile devices

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha Vanessa Agila-Palacios ◽  
Ana García-Valcárcel Muñoz-Repiso ◽  
María Soledad Ramírez-Montoya
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Devices ◽  
Mobile Technology ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Digital Competence ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Functional Training ◽  
Common Process ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Case Based Learning

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the influence of two active methodologies on digital competences development using mobile devices. The first methodology is project-oriented learning (POL); the second one is case-based learning (CBL). The analyzed digital competences belong to the communication and collaboration area of framework DIGCOMP.Design/methodology/approachThis article shows the results of the quantitative stage with a design pre-experimental pre-test–post-test. A questionnaire was designed and applied to an intentional sample from two different courses. In total, 178 students completed the questionnaire in the pre-test, and after five months, 38 students completed the questionnaire in the post-test.FindingsThe results show that students to whom POL was applied increase by 7% competence of interaction with mobile technology. The results also show that the students to whom CBL was applied to increase all four competencies (interaction +8%, share +6%, collaboration +5%, netiquette +4%).Research limitations/implicationsSelf-perception for the evaluation of digital competence and the short study time are limitations to generalize the results, so a longitudinal study is necessary and complemented with qualitative analysis, to present a better validation of the contribution of active methodologies to the development of digital competences.Originality/valueThe rapid advance of technology and the results of various investigations make evident the need of digital competences development. The most common process is digital literacy through techno-functional training. However, these research results confirm that it is possible to promote these digital competences from a practical view and implicitly in active methodologies educational practices.

scholarly journals Digital competence and digital literacy in higher education research: Systematic review of concept use

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 1519143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Spante ◽  
Sylvana Sofkova Hashemi ◽  
Mona Lundin ◽  
Anne Algers ◽  
Shuyan Wang
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Education Research ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Higher Education Research ◽  
Digital Competence

Leading with love and hospitality: applying a radical pedagogy to LIS

2019 ◽  
Vol 120 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 119-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole A. Cooke
Keyword(s):  
Classroom Management ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Ethnographic Case Study ◽  
Radical Pedagogy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Information Professionals ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to suggest that classroom instructors should reflect and revise their pedagogy to lead a classroom designed to produce future information professionals who will be prepared to serve their communities in a radical way. Design/methodology/approach The paper reviews the literature related to radical and humanizing pedagogies and then features an auto ethnographic case study which details how the author implemented some of the strategies. Findings Formal study of pedagogy can improve the library and information science (LIS) teaching and learning process. Practical implications Examining pedagogy in a formal way yields concrete suggestions for improving classroom management and content delivery. Social implications Using a radical pedagogy can improve relationships between teachers and learners, and learners will be able to model the classroom strategies in their own professional practice. Originality/value The study builds upon current examples of radical practice in the field and examines how such practices can be instilled even earlier in LIS graduate classrooms.

Everyday life classification practices and technologies

2015 ◽  
Vol 71 (5) ◽  
pp. 957-975 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill McTavish
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Domain Knowledge ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Classification Systems ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Card Sort ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Values And Beliefs

Purpose – Through the application of domain-analytic principles, the purpose of this paper is to explore how participants’ understandings of healthy eating are related to their grouping and classification of foods. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 30 food-interested people were asked to (1) sort a series of 56 statements about food, health, and eating on a scale from “most disagree” to “most agree”; (2)complete an open card sort of 50 foods; and (3) classify these 50 foods on a scale from “most unhealthy” to “most healthy”. Exercises (1) and (3) involved Q-methodology, which groups people who share similar understandings of a phenomenon. Findings – Participants’ understandings of healthy eating – revealed by the first Q-methodology exercise – were related to shared food priorities, values, and beliefs; these understandings were indirectly connected with food identities, which was not expected. This suggests that lay domain knowledge is difficult to capture and must involve other methodologies than those currently employed in domain-analytic research. Research limitations/implications – Although a small sample of food-interested people were recruited, the purpose of this study was not to make generalized claims about perspectives on healthy eating, but to explore how domain knowledge is related to everyday organizational processes. Originality/value – To “classify” in Library and Information Science (LIS) usually involves an engagement with formally established classification systems. In this paper the author suggests an alternative path for LIS scholars: the investigation of everyday life classification practices. Such an approach has value beyond the idiosyncratic, as the author discusses how these practices can inform LIS researchers’ strategies for augmenting the messages provided by static classification technologies.

Speculations on the post-pandemic university campus – a global inquiry

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay Deshmukh
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Virtual Classroom ◽  
Human Interaction ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe pandemic-induced global shift to remote learning calls for rethinking the foundations of design for higher education. This watershed moment in global health and human interaction has accelerated changes in higher education that were long emergent and amplified specific deficiencies and strengths in pedagogical models, causing institutions to reevaluate current structures and operations of learning and campus life as they question their vision and purpose. Since physical space has largely been taken out of the equation of university life, it is evident that fresh design research related to this new normal is required.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative research study speculates on new possibilities for the future of campus, based upon insights and inferences gained from one-on-one interviews with faculty and students in multiple countries about their personal experiences with the sudden shift to the virtual classroom. The longer the mode of physical distancing stretched through Spring 2020, these phone and web-enabled dialogues – first with faculty (teachers) and then with students (learners) – lead to a deeper, more nuanced understanding of how the notion of the campus for higher education was itself morphing in ways expected and unexpected.FindingsAt the heart of this study lies the question – Has COVID-19 killed the campus? This study suggests that it has not. However, campuses are now on a path of uneven evolution, and risk shedding the good with the extraneous without eyes-wide-open rethinking and responsive planning. This two-part qualitative analysis details the experiments and strategies followed by educators and students as the pandemic changed their ways of teaching and learning. It then speculates out-of-the-norm possibilities which campuses could explore as they navigate the uncertainty of future terms and address paradigm shifts questioning what defines a post-secondary education.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper draws inferences from discussions limited to the first 100 days of the pandemic. This on-the-ground aspect as the pandemic continues is its strength and its limitation. As Fall 2020 progresses across global campuses, new ideas and perspectives are already reinforcing or upending some of this paper's speculations. This researcher is already engaged in new, currently-ongoing research, following up with interviewees from Spring 2020, as well as bringing in new voices to delve deeper into the possibilities discussed in this paper. This follow-up research is shaping new thinking which is not reflected in this paper.Originality/valueDesign practitioners have long-shaped campuses on the belief that the built “environment is the third teacher” and that architecture fosters learning and shapes collective experience. Educators recognize that a multiplicity of formal and informal interactions occur frequently and naturally across campus, supporting cognitive and social development, collegiality and well-being. Even today's digital-native-students perceive the inherent value of real interpersonal engagement for meaningful experiences. This research study offers new planning and design perspectives as institutional responses to the pandemic continue to evolve, to discover how design can support what lies at the core of the campus experience.

Professional community and student engagement in higher education: rethinking the contributions of professional staff

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaw Owusu-Agyeman ◽  
Enna Moroeroe
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Professional Community ◽  
Professional Staff ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Culture ◽  
The University

PurposeScholarly studies on student engagement are mostly focused on the perceptions of students and academic staff of higher education institutions (HEIs) with a few studies concentrating on the perspectives of professional staff. To address this knowledge gap, this paper aims to examine how professional staff who are members of a professional community perceive their contributions to enhancing student engagement in a university.Design/methodology/approachData for the current study were gathered using semi-structured face-to-face interviews among 41 professional staff who were purposively sampled from a public university in South Africa. The data gathered were analysed using thematic analysis that involved a process of identifying, analysing, organising, describing and reporting the themes that emerged from the data set.FindingsAn analysis of the narrative data revealed that when professional staff provide students with prompt feedback, support the development of their social and cultural capital and provide professional services in the area of teaching and learning, they foster student engagement in the university. However, the results showed that poor communication flow and delays in addressing students’ concerns could lead to student disengagement. The study further argues that through continuous interaction and shared norms and values among members of a professional community, a service culture can be developed to address possible professional knowledge and skills gaps that constrain quality service delivery.Originality/valueThe current paper contributes to the scholarly discourse on student engagement and professional community by showing that a service culture of engagement is developed among professional staff when they share ideas, collaborate and build competencies to enhance student engagement. Furthermore, the collaboration between professional staff and academics is important to addressing the academic issues that confront students in the university.

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