scholarly journals How Harmful Is the Commercialization of Higher Education for the Academic and Social Environment?

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meixue Gao
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Teaching Quality ◽  
Academic Quality ◽  
Continuous Increase ◽  
Educational Value ◽  
Financial Pressure ◽  
Commercial Market ◽  
Higher Education Industry

The commercial market for higher education in Europe is expanding as governments cut spending on universities in the wake of the 2008 global economic crisis, and universities must be self-sufficient to survive. This commercialization is mainly reflected in the fact that universities begin to pay more attention to fund accumulation rather than improving academic value. With the continuous increase of tuition fees in colleges and universities, students are regarded as consumers and universities are essential commodities needed by consumers. Although commercialization of higher education has some beneficial aspects, such as more funds for schools to provide students with more advanced equipment and more comfortable learning environment, overall, the threat of commercialization to academic quality and social environment cannot be compensated for by those advantages. This paper aims to find out the two main reasons for the commercialization of higher education and the three threats to the social and academic environment brought by the marketing of higher education. Also, the paper also puts forward corresponding solutions for the three major risks; the two reasons analyzed in this paper are mainly the economic crisis and the development of globalization. The three threats are mainly aimed at the teaching quality of educational value and the financial pressure of students. At the same time, the paper gives three corresponding solutions to the threats. This paper argues that the commercialization of higher education severely hinders the improvement of educational value, reduces teaching quality, and brings heavy pressure to students' economy, which directly hinders the healthy development of higher education. If higher education institutions can adopt corresponding strategies to mitigate the threat of commercialization, the commercialization market of higher education may bring many opportunities for the development of higher education industry.

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.

DEMOCRATIZATION OF THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION AS A PREREQUISITE FOR THE INDIVIDUALS’ DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL OF THE SUBJECTS OF ITS ACTION

2020 ◽  
pp. 7-24
Author(s):  
Volodymyr Ryabchenko
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Human Capital ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Human Capital Development ◽  
The Social ◽  
Conceptual Problems ◽  
Capital Development

There are following prerequisites outlined in this article: worldwide democratization trend; complexity of structures of social systems; growing needs in human capital development; autonomy of national higher education institutions; civilizational problem of Ukraine in national elite. Conceptual problems on a road to real democracy in higher education institutions were actualized and analyzed. Determined and characterized three models of higher education institutions activities based on the level of democratization needs of their social environment as: negative, neutral and favorable.

Book Review: Democratic Education in an Age of Difference: Redefining Citizenship in Higher Education

NASPA Journal ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jillian Kinzie
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Democratic Education ◽  
Philosophy Of Education ◽  
Cultural Pluralism ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
Educational Value

The influence of John Dewey's philosophy of education - most notably, emphasizing the educational value of experience and service, situating learning in community, and promoting a faith in cultural pluralism - is evident in recent calls for institutions of higher education to strengthen to the larger community and to promote multiculturalism (Gamson, 1997).

Evaluation of the Quality, Educational Value and Utility of the Videos on YouTube for Laparoscopic Low Anterior Resection

2021 ◽  
pp. 000313482110111
Author(s):  
Erol Piskin ◽  
Muhammet Kadri Çolakoğlu ◽  
Ali Bal ◽  
Volkan Oter ◽  
Erdal Birol Bostanci
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Resection ◽  
Low Anterior Resection ◽  
Video Quality ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Teaching Quality ◽  
Educational Value ◽  
Laparoscopic Low Anterior Resection ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
October 17

Background Minimally invasive surgery is a rising trend in colorectal surgery and is on its way to becoming the gold standard due to the benefits it provides for patients. This study aims to test the efficacy for educational purposes by evaluating the videos published on YouTube ( www.youtube.com ) channel for low anterior resection procedure in rectum surgery. Methods We searched YouTube on October 17, 2020 to choose video clips that included relevant information about laparoscopic low anterior resection (LAR) for rectal cancer. Results We included 25 academics and 75 individual videos in this study. The teaching quality of the videos was evaluated according to academic and individual videos, and it was seen that the teaching quality scores of academic videos were higher and this result was statistically significant ( P = .03). The modified Laparoscopic Surgery Video Educational Guidelines (LAP-VEGaS) criteria were found that the score was higher in individual videos ( P = .014). The median Video Power Index (VPI) value was 1.50 (range .05-347) and the mean ratio was 7.01 ± 3.52. There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups ( P = .443). Discussion Video-based surgical learning is an effective method for surgical education. Our study showed that the video quality and educational content of most of the videos about the low anterior resection procedure on YouTube were low. The videos of academic origin seem more valuable than individual videos. As far as video popularity is concerned, YouTube viewers are not selective. For this reason, training videos to be used for educational purposes must be passed through a standardized evaluation filter.

Improving Learning Quality of Advanced Manufacturing Engineering

2014 ◽  
Vol 484-485 ◽  
pp. 239-241
Author(s):  
Shao Lin Wang
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Teaching Quality ◽  
Advanced Manufacturing ◽  
Teaching Resources ◽  
Teaching Management ◽  
Management Reform ◽  
Excellent Teaching ◽  
Manufacturing Engineering

Higher education and traditional forms of teaching and management system are difficult to adapt to the individualized requirements and the cultivation of personalized talents. higher education information technology is a new trend in the world, and it plays an important role in promoting universities personalized education and innovation, training personnel, improving the integrated use of the excellent teaching resources, deepening teaching management reform and improving the teaching management level, enhancing teaching quality of advanced manufacturing engineering. Colleges and universities should attach great importance to the building and information on the quality of the teaching environment of information technology and promote information technology in education for major of manufacturing engineering.

A strategy tripod perspective on merger effectiveness in the higher education industry: the mediating role of future foresight

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahraa Sameer Sajwani ◽  
Joe Hazzam ◽  
Abdelmounaim Lahrech ◽  
Muna Alnuaimi
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Education Industry ◽  
Higher Education Industry

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to investigate the role of the strategy tripod premises, mediated by future foresight and its effect on merger effectiveness in the higher education industry.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative survey method was implemented, with the data provided by senior managers of 14 universities that went through a merger from the years 2013–2016. The proposed model was tested using partial least squares (PLS) of structural equation modeling (SEM).FindingsThe results indicate that government support, competitive intensity and knowledge creation capability relate positivity to merger effectiveness, and these relationships are mediated by future foresight competence.Originality/valueThe study provides a better understanding of merger effectiveness in the higher education industry by identifying the role of future foresight competence in the application of strategy tripod and its contribution on merger effectiveness. Results indicate that future foresight competence contributes to the merger effectiveness and enables the effective implementation of the strategy tripod dimensions in higher education mergers.

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