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This paper examines the shifting landscape of higher education in Turkey, highlighting a disconcerting trend of politically motivated appointments, coined as "parasailing." Departing from traditional merit-based norms, this practice of appointing professors without necessary approvals disrupts the academic environment, prompting concerns about the integrity of higher education institutions. The paper introduces the term "parasailing" to elucidate this phenomenon, emphasizing the connection between the appointed professor and their academic destination. In contrast to the widely used term "parachuting," in Turkish academia the proposed terminology offers a better understanding of the appointment process. The subsequent sections provide an overview of the Turkish academic landscape, explore the origin of the term "parachuting," review existing literature, define "parasailing," and connect it to different philosophical thoughts. Overall, this paper contributes to a broader comprehension of the challenges facing Turkish higher education, urging a reconsideration of appointment procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses speculative methods as a way of imagining futures for higher education in open, non-predictive ways. The complexity and 'unknowability' of the highly technologised, environmentally damaged and politically degraded futures we seem to be facing can mean that our conversations about the future of higher education have a tendency to spiral too quickly into dystopianism and hopelessness. Speculative methods can help open up new kinds of conversation capable of supporting active and fundamental hope. Working within a postqualitative framework, we argue that such approaches support the collaborative imagining of multiple alternatives, and represent a way of advocating for those that are preferable. The paper presents a series of speculative scenarios and microfictions focusing on worlds ruptured by climate change, artificial intelligence, revolution and the technological enhancement of humans, connecting each of these to current critical research focused on climate crisis, 'big tech', rising global injustice and 'big pharma'. It emphasises the vital contribution and place of higher education within such futures, and advocates for speculative methods as an approach to maintaining hope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses hopeful futures for higher education and the use of technology in realising those futures through the lens of refugee education in Uganda. Through an analysis of qualitative research done with refugee students and teachers participating in a blended bridging programme designed to prepare students for entry and success in higher education, this paper explores the interplay between contingency and positions of hope for refugee students in relation to higher education and further assimilation into civic society. Two themes emerged from the analysis that suggested a prioritarian orientation for higher education to realise a more hopeful future. First, hope renders as an act of cultivation as refugee students become exposed to new concepts and develop confidence in relation to them. Second, digital technologies broaden the cultivation of hope towards greater civic participation, even if access to higher education is not achieved. Third, hope correlates to action not necessarily as a linear progressive trajectory but as a diligent watchfulness for positive possibility. The implications for higher education are that taking a prioritarian lens for refugees in educational design engages with the contingencies that impact all, placing the sector deliberately in search of positive possibility in its orientation and design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The value of generative AI tools in higher education has received considerable attention. Although there are many proponents of its value as a learning tool, many are concerned with the issues regarding academic integrity and its use by students to compose written assessments. This study evaluates and compares the output of three commonly used generative AI tools, ChatGPT, Bing and Bard. Each AI tool was prompted with an essay question from undergraduate (UG) level 4 (year 1), level 5 (year 2), level 6 (year 3) and postgraduate (PG) level 7 biomedical sciences courses. Anonymised AI generated output was then evaluated by four independent markers, according to specifed marking criteria and matched to the Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifcations (FHEQ) of UK level descriptors. Percentage scores and ordinal grades were given for each marking criteria across AI generated papers, inter-rater reliability was calculated using Kendall's coefcient of concordance and generative AI performance ranked. Across all UG and PG levels, ChatGPT performed better than Bing or Bard in areas of scientifc accuracy, scientifc detail and context. All AI tools performed consistently well at PG level compared to UG level, although only ChatGPT consistently met levels of high attainment at all UG levels. ChatGPT and Bing did not provide adequate references, while Bing falsifed references. In conclusion, generative AI tools are useful for providing scientifc information consistent with the academic standards required of students in written assignments. These fndings have broad implications for the design, implementation and grading of written assessments in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The move away from transmission-based lecturing toward a more student-centred active learning approach is well evidenced in STEM higher education. However, the examination of active learning has generally remained confined to formal timetabled contexts, with assumptions made that students independently manage the transition between timetabled and non-timetabled learning. This paper introduces research findings from a mixed methods study that used an ecological approach when investigating student transitions between a formal lecture theatre and adjacent informal breakout space in a UK STEM university. Using quantitative occupancy monitoring data to analyse usage patterns of both spaces, in combination with qualitative ethnographic observations and field interviews, permitted a purposeful exploration of student engagement with transitions within and between the two learning spaces. The ecological approach aided the discovery of spatial, pedagogic and agentic transitions and tensions, which subsequently informed strategic modification of space across the institution to facilitate the adoption of active learning pedagogy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper combines social fiction and academic analysis to envision hopeful futures for higher education. At the heart of the exploration is Phoebe Wagner's speculative fiction piece, University, Speaking, which personifies a university grappling with environmental, political, and social change. Phoebe Wagner's first-person narrative highlights the power of collective voice, the importance of centering community, and the urgent need to cultivate resilience and adaptability. Through analysis of key themes, this paper connects Phoebe Wagner's fictional vision to contemporary research on the multi-faceted and complex challenges facing universities today. By integrating artistic and academic perspectives, this paper discusses new possibilities for universities navigating disruption and change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise of China as a scientific research superpower has been frequently discussed in media and literature. However, past analyses are usually based on the geographical database and they ignore how the millions of emigrated Chinese students, who are now being considered the major research workforce in many countries, affect their academic outputs. Here we quantitatively analyze the contribution of Chinese scholars in physical science around the globe by their publications in a country's papers from 2010 to 2021 as well as their citations. Contrary to common perception, we find that increasing the number of Chinese scholars does not correlate with the net publication growth or decline in their host countries before the Chinese population exceeds a critical value. On the other hand, increasing Chinese authors in a paper improves its citations. The phenomena, though anomalous, are observed in many subfields of physics across the globe. Our analysis suggests that although Chinese scholars do not change the perceived publication capabilities of many countries but may have reshaped their research culture as well as workforce distributions. The results would be valuable for R&D, higher education, and immigration policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University–Industry Collaborations (UIC) are increasingly recognized as crucial drivers of economic growth and development. While numerous studies have been conducted on this topic, this paper specifically focuses on UIC in the Arab World. The aim of this study is to explore the establishment of successful UIC by conducting a review of existing literature to identify and synthesize key factors that enable collaborative innovation between industry and universities. The findings are summarized into six main themes: the importance of UIC, barriers to UIC, gaps between universities and industry in the Arab World, partnerships and sustainable growth, current trends and perspectives, and future agenda for Arab countries. These themes are elaborated on and used to summarize results from the reviewed studies regarding facilitators of collaborative innovation. The contribution of this work lies in enhancing the existing body of literature and knowledge regarding collaboration between higher education and industry in the Arab World. This research presents specific measures that can be implemented to ensure successful UIC in the future. Its outcomes are significant for policymakers, academics, and industry experts in the Arab region, who aspire to form productive UIC partnerships that encourage economic development and innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is the first attempt to integrate microdata on universities and firms across most European countries in order to disentangle the impact of knowledge spillovers from human capital (graduates) and intellectual capital (codified research output) on the performance of firms. Data cover all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) registered in the official European Tertiary Education Register (ETER). Data on performance of firms are from ORBIS and refer to change in the 2011–2015 period in turnover, total assets, intangible assets, and employment. Firms are georeferred and the spillovers from all HEIs located at a given distance are summed and integrated. The findings suggest that, among knowledge spillovers, the creation of human capital via education of students has a larger impact than the circulation of research knowledge. Moreover, the two factors seem to be complements rather than substitutes. Spatial proximity is important for embodied knowledge spillovers (i.e. educated people), while for codified and disembodied spillovers (citations to publications) the spatial dimension is less relevant. The findings have important managerial and policy-making consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The escalating integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, particularly the widespread use of ChatGPT in higher education, necessitates a profound exploration of effective communication strategies. This paper addresses the critical role of prompt development as a skill essential for university instructors engaging with ChatGPT. While emphasizing the practical implications for higher education, the study introduces a novel two-layered AI prompt formula, considering both components and elements. In methodology, the research synthesizes insights from existing models and proposes a tailored approach for ChatGPT, addressing its unique characteristics and the contextual elements within higher education. The results highlight the formula's flexibility and potential applications in diverse fields, from syllabus planning to assessment. Moreover, the study identifies limitations inherent in ChatGPT, emphasizing the need for instructors to exercise caution in its usage. In conclusion, the paper underscores the evolving landscape of AI in education, envisaging specialized versions of ChatGPT for academic settings and advocating for the proactive adoption of ethical frameworks in the use of AI in higher education. This study serves as a foundational contribution to the discourse on effective AI communication in educational settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we put in dialogue the local dimension of a nation-state with the global challenges faced by universities worldwide. We focus on the case of Denmark, a nation that was exceptionally active in implementing international university reforms and where digitalisation is a high priority of the public sector governance. The article seeks to contribute to speculative research and critical studies by presenting a mixed-methods study that explores higher education teachers' views about desirable and realistic future scenarios in Denmark. The study draws on data from a survey applied at a large Danish university, analysed both quantitatively (N = 755) and qualitatively (N = 53). The findings show that teachers share clusters of concern about uncontrolled digitalisation and teaching automation, commodification of education, and modularisation of university courses, the latter being a contested but realistic perspective in the latest political reforms. They reaffirm the mission of the university as preparing students for solving real problems and contributing to the challenges of the present time. The paper concludes with a call for university management to recalibrate future imaginaries to the values expressed by the teachers, and the university they wish to create. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating digital technologies to benefit teaching and learning has long been driving higher education. The uptake of technology has been supported by teacher training focused on developing teachers' capabilities to design for learning. However, in this paper, we raise the point of moving towards teaching-sensitive technology as a clear alternative to current strategies focusing on teachers' mental processes. To develop this point, the paper offers a qualitative study that explores teaching to identify critical features of technology supporting teachers' work. Analysing teaching from a hermeneutic perspective, we arrive at six fundamental dynamics within which teachers operate. Based on the factors identified, we present three principles to guide future design of technologies for teaching and two approaches to designing technology sensitive to teachers' values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, university teaching methods have evolved and almost all higher education institutions use e-learning platforms to deliver courses and learning activities. However, these digital learning environments present significant dropout and low completion rates. This is primarily due to the lack of student motivation and engagement. Gamification which can be defined as the application of game design elements in non-game activities has been used to address the issue of learner distraction and stimulate students' involvement in the course. However, choosing the right combination of game elements remains a challenge for gamification designers and practitioners due to the lack of proven design approaches, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach that works regardless of the gamification context. Therefore, our study focused on providing a comprehensive overview of the current state of gamification in online learning in higher education that can serve as a resource for gamification practitioners when designing gamified systems. In this paper, we aimed to systematically explore the different game elements and gamification theory that have been used in empirical studies; establish different ways in which these game elements have been combined and provide a review of the state-of-the-art of approaches proposed in the literature for gamifying e-learning systems in higher education. A systematic search of databases was conducted to select articles related to gamification in digital higher education for this review, namely, Scopus and Google Scholar databases. We included studies that consider the definition of gamification as the application of game design elements in non-game activities, designed for online higher education. We excluded papers that use the term of gamification to refer to game-based learning, serious games, games, video games, and those that consider face-to-face learning environments. We found that PBL elements (points, badges, and leaderboards), levels, and feedback and are the most commonly used elements for gamifying e-learning systems in higher education. We also observed the increasing use of deeper elements like challenges and storytelling. Furthermore, we noticed that of 39 primary studies, only nine studies were underpinned by motivational theories, and only two other studies used theoretical gamification frameworks proposed in the literature to build their e-learning systems. Finally, our classification of gamification approaches reveals the trend towards customization and personalization in gamification and highlights the lack of studies on content gamification compared to structural gamification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade there has been a large increase in corporate and public reliance on social media for information, rather than on the traditional news and information sources such as print and broadcast media. People freely express their views, moods, activities, likes/dislikes on social media about diverse topics. Rather than surveys and other structured data gathering methods, text data mining is now commonly used by businesses to go through their unstructured text in the form of emails, blogs, tweets, likes, etc. to find out how their customers feel about their company and their products/services. This paper reports upon a study using Twitter (recently renamed to "X") data to determine if meaningful and actionable information could be gained from such social media data in regard to pandemic issues and how that information compares to a traditional survey. In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and forced colleges to move classes to an online format. While there is considerable literature in regard to using social media to communicate geo-political issues and in particular pandemics, there is not a study using social media to explore public sentiment in regard to COVID's forcing online education upon the public. In this study, text data mining was used to gain some insight into the feeling of Twitter users in regard to the effect of COVID-19 and the switch to online education in colleges. This study found that Twitter data mining did produce actionable information similar to the traditional survey, and the study is important since its results may influence organizations to explore the use of Twitter (and possibly other social media) to obtain people's sentiments instead of (or in addition to) traditional surveys and other traditional means of gathering such information. This paper demonstrates both the process of text data mining social media and its application to current real-world issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of ChatGPT, a Generative AI program, has sparked discussions about its teaching and learning value, and concerns about academic integrity in higher education (HE). An extant review of the literature indicates that a scarcity of research exists on GenAI, specifically a synthesis of the official views, guidelines and articles of top-ranked universities on the use, limitations, challenges, and opportunities brought by ChatGPT in the early phase when ChatGPT was released in 2022 until early May 2023, which can offer insights into the concerns and recommendations for educators. Using the corpus assisted discourse analysis approach, this study identified the key themes and emotions elicited by evaluations of the ChatGPT situation from a self-built corpus containing 151 articles from 47 top-ranked U.S. universities and 34 U.K. ones. Our findings indicated three prominent themes discussed on official websites, including ChatGPT as a text and content generator, use of ChatGPT in teaching and learning, and potential implications and opportunities of using ChatGPT in HE. Further examination revealed that bias, concern, worry, threat, fear, and trust were the prevailing emotions relating to ChatGPT. Illustrated with examples collected from our corpus, this paper offers an in-depth discussion of universities' first responses to the use of ChatGPT. The insights gained have some pedagogical implications for academics, researchers and educators and may inform policy and practice in HE on the use of GenAI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality of teaching and learning in higher education is explained by the teaching and learning milieus through which academic staff and students interact. Subsequently, governments across the globe have been establishing standards that aim at improving the teaching and learning milieus in universities as part of the efforts to facilitate the provision of quality university education that address national and global needs and contexts simultaneously. This paper draws evidence from the quantitative data gauging the reflection and experiences of academic staff and students regarding the extent to which milieus for the provision of education in post-1995 universities reflect the goals of the standards established to govern the operation of universities in Tanzania. Overall, the study found dissatisfactions from both academic staff and students regarding the extent to which the teaching and learning milieus in post-1995 universities in Tanzania reflect the standards. This poor reflection may have negative impacts on the realisation of the goals the standards intend to achieve. The study therefore underscores the need for the government to plan, design and enforce the appropriate standards that would have notable impacts on the academic experiences of academic staff and students and subsequently provision of education for national and global needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global trends in higher education emphasize the development of curricula that offer greater responsiveness to learners. Creating flexible and responsive curricula will require additional support systems for curriculum management. The first step toward sustainably developing this kind of system is to represent essential curricular information in a way that allows sharing common components across various work processes within the educational environment. The current research implements a new approach for representing curriculum components, by systematically analyzing external source data to extract the basic knowledge, skills and dependencies which then become objects into an ontology. The resulting ontology should act as a computationally-accessible model of the curriculum with sufficient information and usable quality. This paper describes a trial implementation of our approach using actual curriculum documents. Results from performance metrics and expert evaluation validate the proposed strategy and suggest that the approach is feasible for real-world practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic institutions have existed for centuries. In most places in the world, classes begin at 8:00 a.m. and continue into the evening hours, usually ending no later than 10:00 p.m. Although online teaching and learning have existed for over a decade, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was developed and expanded drastically. As a result, new opportunities for innovation in the teaching and learning world were created. One potential opportunity is the exploration of learning hours, which is the topic of this paper. This paper presents a case study of an asynchronous academic course that took place at the end of the pandemic (Spring semester, Q2 of 2022). In this case, the teaching hours were around the clock, as were the learning hours, compared to traditional classes (which are either face-to-face or delivered live online) occurring in the same semester and at the same academic institution. This study aims to raise the question of whether current academic course hours are based on past habits or whether it is necessary to reconsider and adjust the hours to be more suitable for twenty first-century students and according to the need for more flexibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality assurance of higher education in China is an issue of vital international interest. To improve the international reputation of the nation's universities, steps must be taken to ensure a sustained focus on the quality assurance within its ranks. This paper is primarily focused on the quality assurance models operational in Chinese universities, the Big data challenges and the legal framework backing them. The paper also discusses the implementation of the models, the extent to which they meet international standards, and how they adhere to prevailing laws. The degree of success in attaining and maintaining quality and evaluation of quality improvement opportunities are also discussed. Some of the solutions recommended in this study are the participation of more teachers and students in quality management, more emphasis of Higher Education Institution (HEI) quality assurance on self-regulation and a learning-oriented approach and conducting sessions to collect anonymous feedback from students to reward staff with best practices. Some of the Quality Assurance practices/models adopted in Chinese Universities are the Ministry of Education (MOE) reviews; the Academic Degree Committee oversight; Higher Education Evaluation Center (HEEC) overview, University self-evaluation according to HEEC Indicators, and the Webometric Ranking Model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructive alignment is a learning design approach that emphasizes the direct alignment of the intended learning outcomes, instructional strategies, learning activities, and assessment methods to ensure students are engaged in a meaningful learning experience. This pedagogical approach provides clarity and coherence, aiding students in understanding the connection of their learning activities and assessments with the overall course objectives. This paper explores the use of constructive alignment principles in designing a graduate-level Introduction to Project Management course by leveraging Large Language Models (LLMs), specifically ChatGPT. We introduce an innovative framework that embodies an iterative process to define the course learning outcomes, learning activities and assessments, and lecture content. We show that the implemented framework in ChatGPT was adept at autonomously establishing the course's learning outcomes, delineating assessments with their respective weights, mapping learning outcomes to each assessment method, and formulating a plan for learning activities and the course's schedule. While the framework can significantly reduce the time instructors spend on initial course planning, the results demonstrate that ChatGPT often lacks the specificity and contextual awareness necessary for effective implementation in diverse classroom settings. Therefore, the role of the instructor remains crucial in customizing and finalizing the course structure. The implications of this research are vast, providing insights for educators and curriculum designers looking to infuse LLMs systems into course development without compromising effective pedagogical practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meeting the needs of dual-career academic couples has become an important part of university efforts to foster family-friendly workplaces. Many universities have developed formal or informal approaches to addressing dual-career issues, but variation across institutions has made it difficult to detect wider patterns or probe their implications. In this paper, we analyze the dual-career policies and materials (848 documents total) of all R1 institutions in the United States. As with studies from roughly two decades ago, we find deficiencies in institutional support and transparency. However, given reduced state revenues for institutions of higher education and a rise in precarious employment arrangements over the same time period, conditions for academic couples are arguably worse today. In order for universities to address these concerns and contribute meaningfully to broader forms of inclusion, we argue that there is a need for sustained funding commitments and infrastructural support for dual-career programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual Reality (VR) is a computer-generated environment with noteworthy didactic applications in different educational levels and areas of knowledge. The study of the perceptions of the agents involved about the use of VR in lectures is a fruitful line of research because it has implications in terms of the measures to be taken to improve the training and competence of professors in its use. In this paper, a quantitative, descriptive, and correlational research is carried out on the assessments of a sample of 1638 Latin American university professors on both (i) the didactic use of VR and (ii) the influence of the professors' area of knowledge on these assessments. For this purpose, a validated questionnaire was used, the responses to which were subjected to statistical analysis. As a result, it was found that the ratings of VR are very high, but professors believe that their digital skills for its use are insufficient. In addition, the professors' area of knowledge significantly influences their ratings, being higher in the areas of knowledge in which professors have a better self-concept of their digital skills. Furthermore, gender gaps have also been identified in the answers given, which behave differently according to the area of knowledge. Finally, some conclusions, implications, and recommendations are drawn from the results obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current article evaluates a national English language proficiency test known as the "MSRT test" which is used to determine the eligibility of candidates for admission to and completion of higher education programs in Iran. Students in all majors take this standardized, high-stake criterion-referenced test to determine if they have obtained the minimum English proficiency level and can be graduated. The present paper seeks to examine the test and its psychometrics characteristics due to the significance of such a high-stakes examination that may have social and long-lasting effects on the participants. It is claimed that the test measures participants' "knowledge of language" for communication rather than their "knowledge about language" in a constrained context. As a result, the test dimensionality and validity are up for debate. It was found that fundamental revisions in terms of test format and content are required to improve the test quality. The current study examined the areas that are yet unexplored and attempts to describe the MSRT assessment comprehensively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, educators in higher education (HE) were expected to educate, generate knowledge, and do community service. With some commentators arguing that an academic must 'publish or perish', the expectation to create knowledge through research became overemphasized. The concept is widespread in HE institutions around the world. It aids to keep staff, particularly those in universities, constantly engaged with relevant knowledge works in their fields of expertise. According to this viewpoint, research publications are the most important factor in determining whether an academic or an administrator gets employed, promoted, acknowledged, retained, or not hired. The idea of 'publish or perish', on the other hand, is based on the dominant Western knowledge creation realities, which largely misrepresent or ignore African realities. To avoid perpetuating inequalities in academia, it is critical to re-examine how this idea informs knowledge creation in Africa. For example, the enormous number of publications required for one to advance up the academic ladder comes at a hefty cost that is not always feasible to low-paid academics in Africa's resource-poor countries. This limits promotion of some individuals. Basically, for many Africans, what matters is the information gained, not how many times one's work is acknowledged in scholarly publications. We need to establish knowledge-creation processes that are tailored to African realities. To that goal, we must strike a balance between having numerous publications with the potential to have an impact on society, given that developing solutions to development concerns appears to be more vital for Africa right now. This paper problematizes the 'publish or perish' concept for African academics, especially those intending to make an impact in their society with a purpose of eliminating inequalities in academia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To ameliorate the efficiency of urban green innovation is the key to realizing green economic transition. This paper constructs a Super-NSBM model with green patents as the intermediate output, uses this model to assess and decompose the green innovation efficiency of 284 Chinese cities, and finally analyzes the spatiotemporal characteristics and influential factors. The research result showed the gap of urban green innovation total efficiency among various regions in China is narrowing, while the spatial differentiation of decomposition efficiency is deepening. This means that a spatial collaborative innovation division pattern of "Eastern Region R&D + Southwest and Northeast Region Transformation" has gradually formed. In the meantime, this paper also found that the spillover effects of the urban green innovation total efficiency and phased efficiency all can form a significant demonstration effect on the surrounding areas. Finally, financial agglomeration, industrial structure, knowledge sharing, economic activity, higher education, opening, and environmental regulations may affect urban green innovation total efficiency and phased efficiency, and this effect has regional heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence language model introduced in November 2022, is potentially applicable in many contexts, including higher education. Although academics are already using it to draft papers or develop search queries for systematic reviews, its use as a tool aiding the learning process has not been examined. To address this research gap, I conducted an autoethnographic study examining my experience using ChatGPT as a more knowledgeable other that scaffolded my learning about a particular topic—the technical aspects of how ChatGPT works. Overall, ChatGPT provided me with enough content to form a general idea of its technical aspects, and I experienced its feedback as motivating and relevant. However, the answers were somewhat superficial, the text it generated was not always consistent or logical and sometimes contradictory. The instantaneous replies to my questions contributed to an experience of a 'flow'. Being 'in the zone' also meant I overestimated my knowledge and understanding, as I could not detect the contradictory responses it provided 'on the spot'. I conclude that caution is advised when ChatGPT is used as a learning aid, as we learn more about its capabilities and limitations and how humans tend to perceive and interact with these technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

These days, colleges and universities have accumulated many resources in teaching and scientific research due to the acceleration of education information in China. However, many teaching resources are in short supply due to a lack of standardized resource construction and the closeness of management methods. Physical education significant teaching resources in Chinese colleges and universities must be utilized. If not integrated, it would seriously restrict the development of physical education in China. However, the traditional management of physical education teaching resources tends to worsen the data management, which is easy to cause the loss of physical education teaching resources data. With the development of the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, and other technologies, intelligent edge cloud computing can ensure the integrity of physical education teaching resources and improve utilization. In this paper, cloud computing is used to manage physical education teaching resources in colleges and universities, and virtualization technology is used to research physical education teaching resources. Moreover, a resource scheduling method is proposed to ensure equal load distribution across various edge resources. The proposed strategy also provides increased utilization levels for computing resources. The comparison between the sports teaching resources under cloud computing and traditional sports teaching resources found that cloud resource management's sharing degree of teaching equipment has increased by 20.6% compared with conventional resource management. The sharing degree of courses has increased by 16.5%, and the utilization rate of sports venues has increased by 27.1% compared with traditional resource management. The utilization rate of sports film and television materials increased by 30.7%. Teachers and students benefit significantly from college and university teaching resources in the context of cloud computing. It demonstrates how cloud computing may assist colleges and universities in managing and integrating their teaching resources more effectively. The management and integration of college sports resources through cloud computing can promote the mutual exchange of college resources and have practical significance for the development of college education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flipped classroom (FC) approaches have gotten substantial attention in the last decade because they have a potential to stimulate student engagement as well as active and collaborative learning. The FC is generally defined as a strategy that fips the traditional education setting, i.e., the information transmission component of a traditional face-to-face lecture is moved out of class time. The FC relies on technology and is therefore suitable for online or blended learning, which were predominant forms of learning during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020-July 2021). In this paper we present a systematic literature review (SLR) of studies that covered online FC approaches in higher education during the pandemic. We analyzed 205 publications in total and 18 in detail. Our research questions were related to the main findings about the success of implementation of online FC and recommendations for future research. The findings indicated that those who had used FC approaches in face-to-face or blended learning environments more successfully continued to use them in online environments than those who had not used it before. The SLR opened possible questions for future research, such as the effectiveness of the FC for different courses and contexts, the cognitive and emotional aspects of student engagement, and students' data protection. It pointed to the need to examine different aspects of online delivery of the FC more comprehensively, and with more research rigor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the field of Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIEd) has a substantial history as a research domain, never before has the rapid evolution of AI applications in education sparked such prominent public discourse. Given the already rapidly growing AIEd literature base in higher education, now is the time to ensure that the field has a solid research and conceptual grounding. This review of reviews is the first comprehensive meta review to explore the scope and nature of AIEd in higher education (AIHEd) research, by synthesising secondary research (e.g., systematic reviews), indexed in the Web of Science, Scopus, ERIC, EBSCOHost, IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect and ACM Digital Library, or captured through snowballing in OpenAlex, ResearchGate and Google Scholar. Reviews were included if they synthesised applications of AI solely in formal higher or continuing education, were published in English between 2018 and July 2023, were journal articles or full conference papers, and if they had a method section 66 publications were included for data extraction and synthesis in EPPI Reviewer, which were predominantly systematic reviews (66.7%), published by authors from North America (27.3%), conducted in teams (89.4%) in mostly domestic-only collaborations (71.2%). Findings show that these reviews mostly focused on AIHEd generally (47.0%) or Profiling and Prediction (28.8%) as thematic foci, however key findings indicated a predominance of the use of Adaptive Systems and Personalisation in higher education. Research gaps identified suggest a need for greater ethical, methodological, and contextual considerations within future research, alongside interdisciplinary approaches to AIHEd application. Suggestions are provided to guide future primary and secondary research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities are aware of the imperative of sustainability and are focusing on promoting the aims and principles of sustainable development, such as greening their curriculum, enhancing the environmental performance of their campus and using sustainable criteria in their investment and purchasing behavior. Also, the scope of sustainable development was broadened by the introduction of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations' (UN) 2030 Agenda which stipulates new directions for sustainability at a global level. Given this background, this paper examines the level of alignment of universities with the 17 SDGs through an analysis of sustainability reports prepared by universities, in order to highlight the issues which are mostly discussed by universities in relation to SDGs. To do so, an empirical analysis was carried out on a sample of 37 sustainability reports using a methodological framework based on scoring techniques to analyze their content. The findings show that the universities have disclosed more information about climate change mitigation and adaptation practices and less about SDGs regarding quality of education and peace, democracy and strong institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process-genre approach, varied feedback types, and technology integration have been shown to improve students' writing skills, but there is little research on how these three variables interact when implemented together in writing instruction. This study applied a quasi-experimental design with a sequential explanatory design to integrate the process-genre approach, teacher and peer oral and written feedback, and an online technology platform into a Thai university's English writing course. The experimental group received interventions, whereas the control group received standard writing instruction with papers and teacher and peer feedback. Writing pre- and post-tests, formative writing assignments, teacher, peer, oral, and written feedback surveys, and semi-structured interviews were the evaluation instruments. Descriptive statistics, the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, the Mann–Whitney–Wilcoxon test, Spearman's correlation, and Kendall–Theil regression were used to examine quantitative data. A thematic analysis examined qualitative data. The experimental group scored higher on post-tests than pre-tests, indicating that they valued instructor feedback more than other types of feedback. Task response and lexical resource showed substantial gains, although coherence and cohesion, grammatical range, and accuracy did not. The control group had no significant changes in pre- and post-test scores except for task responsiveness. Written feedback was significantly associated with post-test scores and certain post-test criteria in the experimental group. The findings emphasize the importance of a process-genre approach, constant feedback, and technology to improve students' writing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides novel evidence on the importance of the phenomenon of poverty and its heterogeneity across European countries. We analyze the determinants of poverty in Europe and their evolution over time by disentangling the role of genuine state dependence and heterogeneity. We apply alternative dynamic probit models accounting for endogenous initial conditions and correlated random effects to the pre-Great Recession period of 2005–2008 and the post- Great Recession period of 2015–2018 using EU-SILC longitudinal datasets for a sample of European countries in order to estimate genuine state dependence and uncover the role of observable and unobservable factors in determining the risk of poverty. Our findings suggest that the degree of genuine state dependence is relevant in Europe and that it increased slightly from pre- to post-Great Recession. This suggests that measures aimed at lifting individuals out of poverty, including cash transfers, have become even more important during the Europe 2020 decade. Our analysis also reveals that Europe is characterized by an increasing scarring effect of poverty, the trend of which has been exacerbated in the post-recession period. The analysis at the country level clarifies why the evolution of genuine state dependence was heterogeneous. While a clear pattern within macro-regions does not emerge, we find an association between country-level variation in genuine state dependence and some macroeconomic indicators. Finally, our results suggest that the protective role of higher education has diminished over time, while the role of employment stability and of childcare provision during early childhood has become even more important in the post-recession period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the evolution of three higher education wage differentials from 1996 to 2019 in Germany. We distinguish between degrees from academic universities, degrees from universities of applied sciences, and the master craftsman\craftswoman certificate. The educational reference category is a standard degree within the German vocational education and training system. Based on samples of male and female workers from the Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP), regression methods show that all three educational wage differentials in 2019 exceeded the ones in 1996. However, workers graduating from universities experienced an inverse u-shape pattern with a maximum of about 0.5 log points around 2012. Since then, their wage differential decreased by nearly ten percent (about 0.045 log points). Although the decrease is not statistically significant at conventional levels, we think that nearly ten percent can be regarded as economically meaningful. We argue that this pattern is related to university expansion and changes in graduates' subject-choice composition during that expansion. The paper concludes with a discussion of possible alternative explanations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to show an application of variety engineering in the social realm (Beer in The heart of enterprise. Wiley, Chichester, 1979, in Brain of the firm. Wiley, Chichester 1981, in diagnosing the system for organizations. Wiley, Chichester, 1985). It focuses on reducing environmental complexity by catalysing self-organizing processes (Espejo and Reyes in Organizational systems: managing complexity with the VSM. Springer, London, 2011). This catalysis is based on the use of Sen and Nussbaum's capabilities approach (Sen in Development as freedom. Oxford University Press, New York, 1999; Nusbaum in Women and human development: the capabilities approach. Cambridge University Press, New York, 2000). By doing this an organization may improve the quality of the relations with their clients by transforming environmental agents into new suppliers. This approach opens a new dimension of social responsibility for organizations. A particular case is presented in which a regional university in Colombia faces the challenge of attending low-income students coming from small municipalities. They designed a strategy to offer low-cost housing and a daily balanced meal without using the university's own resources. Instead, they managed to involve some agents of the community by developing their capabilities. This kind of variety engineering shows the possibility of new forms of social responsibility in universities by incorporating the capabilities approach into their managerial practices. This is something that is currently under study in other universities (Boni et al. in Science and engineering ethics. Springer, London, 2015). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a micro dataset from labour force survey of Turkey and employing a multinomial logistic regression, this paper examines the determinants of mere overeducation, mere field of study mismatch and full-mismatch (who are both overeducated and field of study mismatched simultaneously). The target group consists of full-time wage-based employees who graduated from higher education and are aged 20–65. The determinants of mismatch are analysed under four variable groups which are labour market context, demography, field of study and job-specific characteristics. In line with the earlier empirical evidence, we find that the unfavourable economic conditions at the time of entry into the labour market might affect the behavioural pattern of individuals while searching for a matching job. Moreover, the sharp increase in university graduates increased further the fierce competition for the limited jobs available in the labour market, and resulted in a high likelihood of mismatch especially for the recent graduates. In sum, the estimation results yield that any mismatch category is responsive to those determinants where fully-mismatched employees are more responsive. Hence, we propose that the policy implications should better focus on the full-mismatch category. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: STEM fields are instrumental in increasing the technological and innovative capacity of the economy. As women are underrepresented in the STEM workforce, diverse strategies have been implemented to boost their preparedness and interest in these fields, including early exposure to academic and vocational STEM courses. Using the case of Chile's highly differentiated school system, this paper examines the role of secondary curricula on students' enrollment and persistence in STEM programs offered by vocational postsecondary institutions and universities. In doing so, we seek to identify whether exposure to STEM courses within the academic or vocational tracks translates into fewer gender differences in STEM higher education. Results: Our results reveal that upper-secondary tracks connected to STEM courses are positively associated with enrollment in STEM higher education and, to some degree, persistence. More specifically, exposure to STEM courses in the academic track is the most effective path to boost chances of enrolling in STEM university programs but has no connection to later persistence. In contrast, applied STEM courses within the vocational tracks perform better in the case of STEM programs in postsecondary vocational institutions both in enrollment and persistence. However, this STEM pipeline significantly amplifies gender gaps as males benefit more than women from early exposure to applied STEM courses. We also found that other indirect routes, such as enrolling in STEM university programs from the vocational track with applied STEM courses, boost female participation in these programs, helping reduce gender gaps. Conclusions: While secondary STEM courses attract more female students to STEM higher education, they alone are insufficient to achieve gender equality in STEM fields as gender gaps widen in the more effective routes. In highly differentiated school systems, policymakers and high school leaders should offer increased support to women interested in STEM studies and careers across all secondary tracks to boost female participation in STEM fields. At the same time, all high school students should be able to select both academic and applied STEM courses as a part of their non-mandatory curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the growing interest in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications in higher education (HE) and the need for more research in this area. It highlights a systematic literature review that identified four key areas of AI applications in teaching and learning. The article also mentions a recent review commissioned by the German Parliament, which found a significant increase in the number of studies on AI in education. The special issue aims to explore the actual impact of AI on different aspects of HE institutions, learning and teaching, and stakeholders, with a focus on educational accessibility and equity. The article provides a brief overview of the accepted articles, which cover topics such as the influence of AI on institutional policies, the impact of AI on students' programming behaviors and perceptions, and the use of generative AI tools for learning. The conclusion emphasizes the need for more research in the field of AI in education and highlights the gap between technical development and educational research in this area. [Extracted from the article]

Using the Panel Survey of Chinese University Students, this paper systematically analyzes the effect of family background on the human capital accumulation of college students. This study finds that family background has little influence in elite universities, where the selective elimination effect is a determinant. In nonelite universities, however, family background and cultural reproduction mechanisms have significant influence, although individual efforts also factor in the process. In vocational colleges, neither cultural reproduction nor meritocracy is significantly effective. The universalization of higher education has caused divergence in different types of institutions, sorting college students into different competitive fields with different rules. Both the cultural reproduction mechanism and the selective elimination hypothesis can be identified in all kinds of colleges, but their effect varies in relation to institutional types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, higher education institutions around the world have come to depend on complex digital infrastructures. In addition to registration, financial, and other operations platforms, digital classroom tools with built-in learning analytics capacities underpin many course delivery options. Taken together, these intersecting digital systems collect vast amounts of data from students, staff, and faculty. Educators' work environments—and knowledge about their work environments—have been shifted by this rise in pervasive datafication. In this paper, we overview the ways faculty in a variety of institutional status positions and geographic locales understand this shift and make sense of the datafied infrastructures of their institutions. We present findings from a comparative case study (CCS) of university educators in six countries, examining participants' knowledge, practices, experiences, and perspectives in relation to datafication, while tracing patterns across contexts. We draw on individual, systemic, and historical axes of comparison to demonstrate that in spite of structural barriers to educator data literacy, professionals teaching in higher education do have strong and informed ethical and pedagogical perspectives on datafication that warrant greater attention. Our study suggests a distinction between the understandings educators have of data processes, or technical specifics of datafication on campuses, and their understanding of big picture data paradigms and ethical implications. Educators were found to be far more knowledgeable and comfortable in paradigm discussions than they were in process ones, partly due to structural barriers that limit their involvement at the process level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The lack of racial diversity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines is perhaps one of the most challenging issues in the United States higher education system. The issue is not only concerning diverse students, but also diverse faculty members. One important contributing factor is the faculty hiring process. To make progress toward equity in hiring decisions, it is necessary to better understand how applicants are considered and evaluated. In this paper, we describe and present our study based on a survey of current STEM faculty members and administrators who examined applicant qualifications and characteristics in STEM faculty hiring decisions. Results: There are three key findings of the present research. First, we found that faculty members placed different levels of importance on characteristics and qualifications for tenure track hiring and non-tenure track hiring. For example, items related to research were more important when evaluating tenure track applicants, whereas items related to teaching and diversity were more important when evaluating non-tenure track applicants. Second, faculty members' institutional classification, position, and personal identities (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity) had an impact on their evaluation criteria. For instance, we found men considered some diversity-related items more important than women. Third, faculty members rated the importance of qualifications with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)-related constructs significantly lower than qualifications that did not specify DEI-related constructs, and this trend held for both tenure track and non-tenure track faculty hiring. Conclusions: This study was an attempt to address the issue of diversity in STEM faculty hiring at institutions of higher education by examining how applicant characteristics are considered and evaluated in faculty hiring practices. Emphasizing research reputation and postdoctoral reputation while neglecting institutional diversity and equitable and inclusive teaching, research, and service stunt progress toward racial diversity because biases—both implicit and explicit, both positive and negative—still exist. Our results were consistent with research on bias in recruitment, revealing that affinity bias, confirmation bias, and halo bias exist in the faculty hiring process. These biases contribute to inequities in hiring, and need to be addressed before we can reach, sustain, and grow desired levels of diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an ethical framework designed to support the development of critical data literacy for research methods courses and data training programmes in higher education. The framework we present draws upon our reviews of literature, course syllabi and existing frameworks on data ethics. For this research we reviewed 250 research methods syllabi from across the disciplines, as well as 80 syllabi from data science programmes to understand how or if data ethics was taught. We also reviewed 12 data ethics frameworks drawn from different sectors. Finally, we reviewed an extensive and diverse body of literature about data practices, research ethics, data ethics and critical data literacy, in order to develop a transversal model that can be adopted across higher education. To promote and support ethical approaches to the collection and use of data, ethics training must go beyond securing informed consent to enable a critical understanding of the techno-centric environment and the intersecting hierarchies of power embedded in technology and data. By fostering ethics as a method, educators can enable research that protects vulnerable groups and empower communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to evaluate and discuss the digital competence of academics at universities, to identify challenges and define recommendations for policy. This study was conducted through collaboration between the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission and Metared of the Universia Foundation, surveying 30,407 participants who present the perceptions of their own digital competence levels. These self-reflections took place in universities in seven countries, namely Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Mexico and Portugal, and used the Check-In tool, which consists of 22 questions based on the European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators—or 'DigCompEdu' framework. A descriptive statistical analysis was performed, followed by a qualitative evaluation. Almost 70% of the academics have an average intermediate level of competence when the data is aggregated, with results varying in each DigCompEdu area according to the specific question asked. There is no significant difference between young and senior academics, as well as between men and women. The results present a discussion of whether the age and gender of educators and their work environment have an impact on their digital competence level, and at the same time highlights the areas in which educators perceive themselves to be most and least competent. It shows how the amount of institutional support that is offered affects the academics' perceptions of their level of digital competence. On the basis of the results, recommendations are presented for higher-education institutions, with the aim of supporting the professional development of their academics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public colleges and universities play an important role in the formation of human capital through the attraction, training, and often local–regional retention of students. Much of the existing research on the subject examines one stage in this process, one type of institution, and/or one type of regional environment. While such studies can generate important insights, taking too narrow a perspective on one or more of these elements can lead to distortions about the impact of institutions of higher learning on the regions they serve. This paper adds to the literature by (1) widening the temporal frame of analysis to include the student's journey from hometown to campus and then to additional locations 10 years after graduation, and (2) by deepening the cross-sectional view of a region's layered institutions to include the many different types of public higher education and the variety of human capital they support. Data from 64 institutions spread across 10 labor market regions under the State University of New York show how institution type corresponds to (1) the geography of populations served, (2) the nature of skills and training supplied, and (3) local/regional retention a decade later. The empirical study also identifies the extent to which factors such as regional variation, degree level, and students' program of study associate with human capital development (e.g., wages, retention) and therefore contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the broader relationship between institutions of higher learning and local/regional human capital formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased availability of technology in higher education has led to the growth of online learning platforms. However, a significant concern exists regarding dropout rates in online higher education (OHE). In this ever-evolving landscape, student attrition poses a complex challenge that demands careful investigation. This systematic literature review presents a comprehensive analysis of the literature to uncover the reasons behind dropout rates in virtual learning environments. Following the PRISMA guidelines, this study systematically identifies and elucidates the risk factors associated with dropout in online higher education. The selection process encompassed articles published between 2013 and June 2023, resulting in the inclusion of 110 relevant articles that significantly contribute to the discourse in this field. We examine demographic, course-related, technology-related, motivational, and support-related aspects that shape students' decisions in online learning programs. The review highlights key contributors to dropout like the quality of the course, academic preparation, student satisfaction, learner motivation, system attributes, and support services. Conversely, health concerns, financial limitations, technological issues, screen fatigue, isolation, and academic workload, emerge as significant limitations reported by online learners. These insights offer a holistic understanding of dropout dynamics, guiding the development of targeted interventions and strategies to enhance the quality and effectiveness of online education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the European Union has advanced towards responsible and sustainable Artificial Intelligence (AI) research, development and innovation. While the Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI released in 2019 and the AI Act in 2021 set the starting point for a European Ethical AI, there are still several challenges to translate such advances into the public debate, education and practical learning. This paper contributes towards closing this gap by reviewing the approaches that can be found in the existing literature and by interviewing 11 experts across five countries to help define educational strategies, competencies and resources needed for the successful implementation of Trustworthy AI in Higher Education (HE) and to reach students from all disciplines. The findings are presented in the form of recommendations both for educators and policy incentives, translating the guidelines into HE teaching and practice, so that the next generation of young people can contribute to an ethical, safe and cutting-edge AI made in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, Mass gathering restrictions were imposed. The lockdown of the Higher Education Institutions was obligatory to save lives. In February 2021 in Egypt, HEIs were allowed to ease the lockdown restrictions on a case-by-case basis gradually. In this paper, we propose a risk evaluation of planned regular mass gathering events during the pandemic, such as students gathering on-campus during indoor exams, by implementing WHO COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan through Intra-Action Review guidance. This one-group posttest-only design study was done on October 6 University campus during indoor students' exams in Giza, Egypt. We conducted IAR to implement the WHO's COVID- 19 SPRP; Country-level coordination; risk communication; surveillance, rapid response teams; points of entry; infection prevention control; laboratories; supply chain; case management; essential health services, and other possible topics. Between February-21, 2021; April-10, 2021, 25,927 students attended the on-campus living exams. Our result suggests that the high level of Readiness–Capacity during mass gatherings will reduce COVID-19 transmission. The most compelling evidence is the significance of synchronization between the ten pillars in preventing COVID-19 transmission. These findings may be used to influence decision-making for continual improvement of the operational planning guidelines during the outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a systematic review of scholarly efforts that uniquely emerged at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and focused primarily on higher education teachers' perspectives on technology use and on associated changes in the relationship between teachers and students amidst the transition to emergency remote teaching worldwide. Our narrative synthesis of 32 studies, the majority of which come from lower-and middle-income countries/regions, suggests that numerous factors interact to shape academics' technology use in emergency remote teaching across higher education contexts. We report strong findings of teachers' resilience and resourcefulness in their self-exploration of various technologies and teaching strategies in response to the continued severity of the pandemic. Ultimately, this review suggests directions for further research on engaging educational leaders and faculty in reimagining teaching as not only a core academic function of higher education, but also, and importantly, a humanising experience shaped by an ethics of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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