Emergency remote teaching: an explorative tool

2021 ◽  
pp. 61-66
Author(s):  
Emma Zavarrone ◽  
Maria Gabriella Grassia ◽  
Rocco Mazza ◽  
Alessia Forciniti

The worldwide rapid spread and severity of the infectious disease caused by Coronavirus forced the WHO to declare a global state of pandemic emergency during March 2020, by leading the governments around the world to adopt policies that created the widest rift of education systems in human history. Italy have temporarily closed each educational institution, by causing the disruption of tertiary education for 16.89% of the Italian learner’s population. To ensure the “pedagogic continuity”, universities adopted the transitioning from traditional face-to-face to online learning. This paradigm shift to fully remote teaching solutions represents the so-called emergency remote teaching (ERT) in contrast to the traditional teaching inspired by Bologna process principles such as teaching quality and student satisfaction. In a landscape of emerging difficulties connected to ERT contexts, the quality assurance of higher education recalled by the Bologna Process may be not appropriate. We propose an evaluation model for the quality and ERT success across two dimensions used as proxy variables: students’ engagement (SE) and success performance (SP). Within the faculties, we analysed the performance and hence the knowledge, skills and/or attitudes acquired by learners, within the students, the focus was the engagement as interest, motivation and involvement. Under this perspective our research question has an explorative nature: we are interested in detecting empirical evidence about the learning assessment and engagement in higher education with focus on students’ engagement and their success performance during ERT. The investigation carried out on Iulm University’s student population (N=775). We integrated textual data related to the students evaluation of ERT and their career data such as credits, marks before and post disease. The results show the relations between the two dimensions taken into account, with a multidimensional approach we created a factorial plan useful to create an agile tool of analysis in the ERT context.

Author(s):  
Marry Mdakane ◽  
Christo J. Els ◽  
A. Seugnet Blignaut

Student satisfaction, as a key psychological-affective outcome of tertiary education, is a direct measure of the success of Open Distance Learning (ODL). It is therefore vital for ODL Higher Education Institutions to assess and improve student satisfaction constantly. Existing theories on student satisfaction are mostly derived from deductive research, i.e. from research that considers the existing body of knowledge, followed by an investigation of a specific aspect or component, in order to reach a specific conclusion. We, however, maintain the inductive stance that a research framework for student satisfaction in ODL should be derived from students themselves. Accordingly, we purposively collected qualitative data from N=34 South African postgraduate ODL students, representative of various cultural language groups, with regard to student satisfaction. Supported by Atlas.ti, we composed an integrated dataset comprised of students’ responses to two focus-group interviews, as well as students’ written narratives in response to qualitative questions. Through meticulous qualitative data-analysis, we detected data categories, sub-categories, patterns and regularities in the integrated dataset. Theories and findings from the existing corpus of knowledge pertaining to student satisfaction in ODL illuminated our qualitative findings. This paper reports on the knowledge we gained from our participants pertaining to their student satisfaction with the Higher Education (HE) environment, the first of three main research components of an inductively derived research framework for student satisfaction in ODL.


Author(s):  
Anita Kéri

Consumer satisfaction has long been a question of great interest in a wide range of fields. Existing research recognizes the critical role played by student satisfaction in higher education. It has been noted that students have changing and variable needs. A considerable amount of literature has been published on the fact that higher education institutions have to react promptly and satisfy students’ needs in order to keep their students and rankings. As student satisfaction is highly dependent on teaching quality, it is essential for higher education institutions to implement new teaching methodologies. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to analyze the concept of a teaching methodology, namely co-creation, and to examine its applicability in the field of economics. With the methodology of co-creation, teachers are able to involve students into the creation of curriculum, which might enhance student involvement and increase student satisfaction.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammadreza Akbari ◽  
Hung Manh Nguyen ◽  
Robert McClelland ◽  
Kristof Van Houdt

PurposeThe purpose of authentic assessment can enrich students with a set of skills that can have a significant impact on their employability. The key aim of these actions is to equip students with the practical skills to be work ready. The focus here is to demonstrate effects on student satisfaction and observations from teaching staff accrued over several semesters in an educational institution after introducing authentic assessments.Design/methodology/approachThis paper used a set of scaffolded authentic assessments for students in logistics and supply chain management (LSCM). A combination of literature and expert input was used to design and implement the authentic assessment. A multi-phase systematic approach using cyclical model steps articulated the course learning outcomes (CLOs).FindingsReinforced evidence that authentic assessments create options for divergent learners and provide opportunities for applying practical and higher-order cognitive skills in tertiary education system of an emerging economy. With the focus on student ability in doing things, students with diversified backgrounds and abilities in Asia can be encouraged to take an active role in their own learning. The formats of the newly redesigned assessments allow multidimensional cognitive capabilities such as art development (posters and video tasks) and reflective exercises. Importantly, formative types of authentic assessments help to decrease the level of anxiety by emphasising the aspect of doing and lead to better student satisfaction with the courses. All of these effects are shown to be repeatable in an Asian economy.Practical implicationsAuthentic assessments prepare students for the new world of work through a more focused scaffolding of their learning.Originality/valueStimulation of deeper learning in tertiary education students is relevant for a top performing Asian economy.


Author(s):  
Kenneth David Strang

This case study reminded researchers of the value in using formal methodologies to gain an objective balanced perspective of actual practice. By using models and survey instruments that gathered objective input from key stakeholders in the higher education market, several of the true underlying factors were revealed. The key instrument used in the case study allowed us to objectively measure if flexible e-learning was at least as effective as campus delivery mode. More so, the assessment was not just performance and not just student satisfaction – instead the outcomes assessed included six factors that were linked to Australian university accreditation: Industry focus, resources/content materials, critical thinking activities, teaching quality, student satisfaction, and student performance (including completion). One of the most interesting aspects of the case study was that we are seeing history in the making to some degree in that as a result of the 2008 global economic crises, the international student market is changing which will force universities to change what and how they offer higher education in the future. More countries (and their populations) in the world are seeking a credible university higher education and they do not always want to travel to holiday destinations to obtain that… the world economic model is changing, continuing to increase the demand for education, yet changing how that product/service must be delivered. Successful higher education institutions around the world are already showing the followers how to do that. This case study provides some ideas and benchmarks for becoming more competitive in higher education, and while the model was developed and used in Australia, likely it can be applied elsewhere since the majority of students feeding into this model and research were international.


2021 ◽  
pp. 002205742110325
Author(s):  
Zachary Mngo

The spread and influence of older European higher education models and the current Bologna Process (BP) is strongly linked to its colonial and neocolonial hegemony. However, the 1999 convergence of European models under the umbrella of the BP reform has had implications beyond the colonial and neocolonial spheres, with its effects impacting even the well-established and reputable education systems of North America. Unlike the countries of Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia Pacific, and the United States did not have any reasons to embrace the BP models. However, they are indirectly affected by it. The international nature of academe, characterized by cooperation and exchanges, has made it impossible for United States tertiary education systems to avoid the effects of the European BP reform entirely. Student and faculty mobility, transferability of degrees, and joint and dual degree offerings have increased significantly as a result of the “external dimension” objectives of the Bologna reform. The highly globalized higher education market is characterized by partnerships and exchanges, including competition between European and the United States colleges and universities over international students. The BP ultimately has and will likely continue to influence the calculations of higher education stakeholders in the United States.


Author(s):  
Aleksandrs Skvorcovs ◽  
Tatjana Titareva ◽  
Graurs Igors

The European Union (EC-JRC, 2010), has stressed that higher education must change and adapt to economic and social needs, that institutional change is essential to educational innovation, and that information and communication technologies (ICT) must form part of the teaching and learning process. The second international challenge is to encourage international cooperation between institutions in order to share knowledge across borders and facilitate collaboration (Morin, 2009) and post-cosmopolitan citizenship (Dobson and Bell, 2006). The dramatic decrease of the number of students in Latvia in the last 10 years by 64% and disproportionally high number of HE institutions, makes Latvia’s Government, the Ministry of Education and Science and higher education institutions to look for new ways to structure and optimize the processes in the higher education sector. The main research question of this paper is: the general development trends of the main drivers for attracting more students into the tertiary education sector in Latvia by means of online education and internationalization. The relevance of the research: the authors review the intersections of the distance learning and internationalization as the optimal solutions for the critical situation in the Latvian higher education sector with lack of students.


Author(s):  
Milena Vukić ◽  
Marija Kuzmanović ◽  
Milorad Vukić

Research Question: This study aims to determine students’ satisfaction, experience and attitude toward internship in hospitality higher education. Motivation: Work integrated learning in the system of vocational higher education should enable young people, who have acquired theoretical and practical knowledge, to increase their employability, develop expertise through the process of socialization in the workplace, as well as to develop work habits and have a better understanding of the work culture. According to Hussien and La Lopa (2018), well-organized internship with detailed feedback, flexible working hours, adequate institutional support, and the ability to acquire a diverse range of skills, can increase satisfaction of all stakeholders. Idea: The main idea is to examine students’ experience, attitudes and satisfaction with internship, in order to propose practical implications for internship improvement. Data: The data were collected by means of a questionnaire during the summer term of 2017/18 academic year. The survey involved 189 students of The College of Hotel Management. Tools: Collected data were analysed and interpreted using some descriptive statistics techniques, as well as non-parametric tests such as Mann-Whitney U Test, Kruskal-Wallis H Test and Spearman's Rho. Findings: A vast majority of students were given employment opportunities during internship, which has increased their satisfaction. Gastronomy and hospitality students most often worked in the profession, while junior and senior students find the curriculum to a lesser extent consistent with the internship program. Students were most satisfied with the mentor’s objectivity in the assessment, and least satisfied with the school support during internship. Student satisfaction is also affected by better alignment of theory and practice, adequately rewarding overtime and doing the job for which they have been trained. Contribution: This study contributes to the identification and understanding of factors affecting satisfaction of hospitality students with internship and proposes measures to better internship organization.


Author(s):  
Estefanía Mourelle ◽  
Laura Márquez-Ramos

Might a country’s economic growth behave in a different manner depending on the evolution of its absorptive capacity? In this research, education is considered as a channel for economic growth since it is a key element for a country’s absorptive capacity. Then, we hypothesize the existence of a threshold for absorptive capacity, so that once it is exceeded, economic growth shows certain (and different) characteristics. Addressing this question requires moving from the traditional linear framework to a nonlinear one and, in this sense, we resort to Smooth Transition specifications. The empirical results point to the existence of nonlinearities in the relationship between absorptive capacity and economic growth. According to the behavior of the country’s absorptive capacity, economic growth displays different dynamics; this asymmetric evolution is clearly appreciated in the two dimensions of absorptive capacity taken into account (i.e., secondary and tertiary), although it is more pronounced in case of tertiary education. Our evidence provides important insights for higher education such as the fact that both secondary and tertiary education matter for countries’ economic growth and that nonlinearities of this relationship should be taken on board.


Author(s):  
О. Чурашева ◽  
O. Churasheva ◽  
А. Третьяков ◽  
A. Tretyakov

<p>This article analyzes the problems and prospects for the development of higher library and information education in the context of integrating the national higher education system into the Bologna process and the transition to the tertiary education system. World trends in this area are indicated. The status and role of the library and information profession in modern society is considered. Particular attention is paid to the preparation of bachelors of library and information activities at the library and information department of the St. Petersburg State Institute of Culture. The article highlights the problem points in the matter. It features a wide range of profiles for the preparation of library and information specialists by the scientific and pedagogical schools of the St. Petersburg State Institute of Culture. The problems that need to be solved now in the conditions of modernization and clustering of the modern Russian educational space are revealed. The paper describes the competence possessed by a graduate of the bachelor's program in the Library-Information Activity direction of preparation. Attention is focused on an integrated system-activity approach to the implementation of the higher education program in the training of library and information personnel. A socio-pedagogical dominant is pointed out, which is necessary for more rapid entry into the library and information community by trainees and a faster search for employers. A need for a comprehensive study of the problems of higher library and information education at the modern stage of the development of the educational sphere of the Russian Federation was noted.</p>


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document