scholarly journals More Personal Knowledge for More Sustainable Higher Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 150-165
Author(s):  
Ilga Salīte ◽  
Ilona Fjodorova ◽  
Inese Butlere ◽  
Oksana Ivanova
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Adaptive Learning ◽  
The Self ◽  
Personal Knowledge ◽  
Person Perspective ◽  
Self Image ◽  
Holistic Understanding ◽  
Human And Nature ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The article aims at considering the characteristics of the Anthropocene era from a broader perspective and emhasizing the possibilities of pedagogy to reduce the current unsustain-ability of higher education. The relationships between human and nature are affected by the wicked problems. In particular, they are influenced by intermingling of anthropocentrism, egocentrism and egoism, which affect these relationships by causing changes in the human being, i.e., changes in sensitivity and sensibility occur that are naturally necessary for human adaptation to the environment. For the case study, we have used the processes taking place at the phenomenon level, which are known as the first-person perspective (1PP) characterized by an active and dynamic connection with the environment. It should be noted that 1PP cannot be observed from a distance, as there are a number of interrelated processes that begin with the effects of the environment, the formation of the “self” and the formation of the self-image. It follows that complex consciousness in the 1PP is implemented within an egocentric reference system, where experience is structured according to the image of the human body. The article will present the findings of 1PP study obtained by performing two tasks: (1) development of a personally significant view of a 1PP researcher on the phenomenon of sustainability from an egocentric perspective and (2) involvement of the 1PP researcher in adaptive learning suitable for pandemic conditions. We would like to stress that the case study has been developed as our reaction to the intensification of unsustainable development in the relationship between nature and human, which has been initiated and maintained by the tangle of Anthropocene problems. From the pedagogical perspective, we looked for an opportunity to use the basis of the natural origin of human and nature relations to maintain more integrated activities and more personal knowledge, so that the development of more sustainable higher education could be promoted by means of personal experience. Through the pedagogical lenses of phenomenology, we identified the need to reduce the impact of the Anthropocene tangle through the use of more natural methods. We also recognized the need to use the 1PP and adaptive learning opportunities more carefully. In this way, pedagogy can gain new experiences for a more holistic understanding of individual experience and enhance the use of the unique abilities of adaptive learning to prototype more personal knowledge in order to build more sustainable higher education.

Modernisation of Higher Education – Willful Action or Wishful Thinking? The Case of Bulgaria

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 3-17
Author(s):  
Elena Blagoeva
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
National Level ◽  
Sustainable Growth ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

The impact of the last global economic crisis (2008) on the European economy put a strain on higher education (HE), yet it also pushed the sector towards intensive reforms and improvements. This paper focuses on the “Strategy for the Development of Higher Education in the Republic of Bulgaria 2014-2020”. With a case study methodology, we explore the strategic endeavours of the Bulgarian government to comply with the European directions and to secure sustainable growth for the HE sector. Our research question is ‘How capable is the Bulgarian HE Strategy to overcome the economic and systemic restraints of Bulgarian higher education?’. Because the development of strategies for HE within the EU is highly contextual, a single qualitative case study was chosen as the research approach. HE institutions are not ivory towers, but subjects to a variety of external and internal forces. Within the EU, this is obviated by the fact that Universities obtain their funds from institutions such as governments, students and their families, donors, as well as EU-level programmes. Therefore, to explore how these pressures interact to affect strategic action on national level, the case method is well suited as it enabled us to study the phenomena thoroughly and deeply. The paper suggests the actions proposed within the Strategy have the potential to overcome the delay, the regional isolation and the negative impact of the economic crisis on the country. Nevertheless, the key elements on which the success or failure of this Strategy hinges are the control mechanisms and the approach to implementation. Shortcomings in these two aspects of strategic actions in HE seem to mark the difference between gaining long-term benefits and merely saving face in front of international institutions.

The impact of self-development on the tendency toward organizational innovation in higher education institutions with the mediating role of human resource agility

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Narenji Thani ◽  
Ebrahim Mazari ◽  
Somaye Asadi ◽  
Maryam Mashayekhikhi
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Organizational Innovation ◽  
The Self ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Nonacademic Staff ◽  
Self Development ◽  
Development Approach ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeConsidering innovation and its improvement as an essential strategy to enable organizations to continue their lives in the new competitive environment leads to a focus on employees' self-development as a factor that affects human resource agility (HRA) and the tendency toward organizational innovation. Consequently, the purpose of the study was to explain the impact of self-development on the tendency toward organizational innovation with the role of the mediator, HRA in higher education institutions as one of the most important and vital organizations in any society.Design/methodology/approachThe study was an applicable one with the quantitative approach using the descriptive–correlative method. The population consisted of 477 nonacademic employees of Kharazmi University among whom 214 ones were selected as the sample group, using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected through the self-development, HRA and the tendency toward organizational innovation questionnaires and then analyzed using the structural equation modeling approach.FindingsThe study findings revealed a positive impact of self-development on the HRA (γ = 0/79) and HRA on the tendency toward organizational innovation (β = 0/6). Also, self-development with mediating HRA impacts the tendency toward organizational innovation (β = 0/58). Finally, self-development had no direct impact on the tendency toward organizational innovation.Research limitations/implicationsTaking the circumstances of doing this research into consideration, if there were the opportunity to do the research on the staffs of more than one university simultaneously and categorize the university staff into executives, managers and experts, more favorable results could be achieved. Also, considering group and organizational factors with the attention to the self-development approach and its factors would provide more awareness-training information on the higher education system in Iran. For future researches, both the individual and group factors are suggested to be surveyed and compared, to assess the weight and impact of these factors all together and to provide an adequate clarification of the role of the group and the organization. Finally, in future studies, it is also recommended that a qualitative approach be used to reach deeper clarifications on the aspects of these variables in the context of higher education.Practical implicationsThese findings have major practical implications concerning the higher educational settings. The findings of this study must give significant and practical insights for policymakers of universities and other higher education stakeholders, as well as recommendations to the academic community for further research in this area. First, they should recognize that nonacademic staff members are professional employees who contribute to improving organizational innovation. Higher education must focus on designing and implementing successful mechanisms and a well-planned self-development program that can help and promote the self-development approach among all staff. If the above-mentioned programs are designed based on the employees' needs analysis, they will get trained in a way to enhance mental and behavioral flexibility. The programs with such an approach can result in the proactive, adaptive, resilient behavior and agility of HR.Originality/valueThe model for this study has integrated and prioritized the key innovation drivers that would help universities design, adopt and implement policies and practices that facilitate and encourage improvements and adaptation to a fast-paced environment. Furthermore, the convincing reason for the significance of the current research is that although several types of research have been carried out on each of these three variables in different contexts separately, very few studies, like this, have directly examined the correlation between these three variables among the non-academic staff in higher education institutes. So, given the importance of the issue and rare availability of evidence in this regard, the authors were intrigued to discover whether the self-development through the mediation of HRA could reinforce and strengthen the tendency toward organizational innovation and whether HRA could be an appropriate mediator of the relationship between self-development and the tendency toward organizational innovation among the nonacademic staff of Kharazmi University as one of the most prestigious and celebrated universities in Iran.

scholarly journals Student Auditing of University Social Responsibility - Reform through Reflective, Experiential Learning?

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Menezes ◽  
Márcia Coelho ◽  
Fernanda Rodrigues ◽  
Peter Evans ◽  
Brian Martin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Initial Data ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Public Engagement ◽  
European Universities ◽  
The Social ◽  
Teaching Support ◽  
The Impact

The emphasis on the social responsibility of higher education institutions emerged more systematically in the Post-Bologna European context. This paper presents an overview of a case study on a certificate in university social responsibility auditing, based on three European universities: Edimburgh, Kaunas and Porto. The goal is to develop an auditor training for students based on experiential learning, that is coherent and replicable in diverse contexts and that involves the various stakeholders. The project is based on a set of benchmarks of university social responsibility developed in the context of a European project, namely:  Research, Teaching, Support for Learning and Public Engagement; Governance; Environmental and Societal Sustainability; and Fair Practices. We will report on the initial data generated by the ESSA Project, in respect of student recruitment, baseline attitudes and the impact of participation in the training and the first audit.

The impact of group psychotherapy on the self-image and self-feelings

Group ◽  
1985 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 24-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorothy Flapan ◽  
Gerd H. Fenchel
Keyword(s):  
Group Psychotherapy ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Image ◽  
The Impact

A Case Study of the Integration of Self, Peer, and Group Assessment in a Core First-Year Educational Psychology Unit through Flexible Delivery Implementation

2011 ◽  
pp. 101-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rozz Albon
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Peer Group ◽  
First Year ◽  
Collective Knowledge ◽  
Flexible Delivery ◽  
Complex Forms ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Learn Collaborative

This chapter provides a case study of one lecturer’s approach to innovativeassessment in a first year unit of university study of 188 students. Manyinsights are provided into the training, preparation, and assessmentexperiences of self, peer, group, and lecturer assessments bound togetherby technology for flexible delivery. The dynamic and complex forms ofassessment support the coproduction of knowledge sharing to harness thesynergy of collective knowledge. Specifically, this chapter presents theauthor’s use of theory used to inform selected assessment strategies.General issues surrounding group assessments, and the impact of graduateattributes and technology on assessment, introduce the case study andreinforce the fact that assessment drives the learning. The author hopesthat by sharing her insights, higher-education practices can better meet theneed for students to learn collaborative and team skills required for thefuture world of work.

Lean Six Sigma in higher education institutes: an Irish case study

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 948-974 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seamus J. O’Reilly ◽  
Joe Healy ◽  
Tom Murphy ◽  
Rónán Ó’Dubhghaill
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Six Sigma ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Lean Six Sigma ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Training Programmes ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to contribute to a developing literature on continuous improvement (CI), enabled by Lean Six Sigma (LSS), in higher education institutions (HEIs). It reports on the key learning points arising from the initial steps taken by an Irish university on its CI journey. Design/methodology/approach A case study strategy was adopted following a participatory research approach. This approach supports reflexivity and also provides access to all relevant documentation and staff within the case university. Thematic analysis was supported by data reduction and display techniques. Findings The introduction of a LSS approach rather than a reliance on lean alone introduced a structured methodology (DMAIC) that supported simplification of a number of administrative processes. A number of specific improvements were achieved including: Cycle time and cost reduction; customer or employee satisfaction; and rework and error reduction. The findings support the importance of the Readiness Factors as identified by Antony (2014), with particular insight into the role of senior and middle management, the impact of training and deployment of expertise. Research limitations/implications This paper is based on an ongoing, longitudinal, empirical study of a single case study in Ireland. Originality/value This paper tracks the development of CI in a HEI in a longitudinal manner and adds to the emerging the literature in this area. The paper evaluates the role of management at various levels, analyses the use of LSS tools and techniques and evaluated the role of training and capacity building. Implications for Management are shared including: design and role of training programmes, role of champions at various organisational levels, including key functional areas and sustaining momentum.

THE IMPACT OF SIBLING STATUS ON CHINESE COLLEGE STUDENTS' QUALITY OF LIFE

2005 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glen D. Edwards ◽  
Art W. Bangert ◽  
Gregory Cooch ◽  
Naotaka Shinfuku ◽  
Tao Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
College Students ◽  
The Self ◽  
World Health ◽  
World Health Organization Quality ◽  
Chinese College Students ◽  
Self Rating ◽  
Holistic Understanding ◽  
The Impact

The World Health Organization Quality of Life-100 (WHOQOL-100, Power, Harper, Bullinger, & WHO1QLG), the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (Zhang, 1993), and the Self-Rating Depression Scale (Zhang, 1993) were used to determine whether Chinese college students from only child and sibling child families rated perceptions of their quality of life differently. Small to moderate significant differences were found when comparing only students to sibling students on the WHOQOL-100 with no significant differences on measures of anxiety and depression. These results suggest that only students do not differ greatly from sibling students in terms of their overall perceptions of their quality of life. A unique characteristic of this study was that it targeted older college students born after implementation of the one-child-per-family policy in China. Also, self-rating instruments were used to gain a greater holistic understanding of the emotional well-being, physical state and social functioning of students. Several psychosocial and economic reasons, including methodological issues related to this study's findings, were discussed.

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