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Advances in technology have significantly augmented the potential of online education, particularly during crises, such as COVID-19, earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods. This qualitative survey study ascertains 150 English-as-a-foreign language (EFL) learners' perceptions of the efficacy of online language education in a preparatory school of a state university after the Kahramanmaras earthquake in Türkiye in 2023. Data were gathered via an online survey with open-ended inquiries to elicit favourable and adverse experiences and recommendations from students. In order to ensure the thorough and systematic analysis of the collected data, a rigorous methodological approach was employed. Specifically, the data were analyzed through content analysis, facilitated by the MAXQDA. The research outcomes revealed that the participants appreciated online language education for its time-saving nature, comfort, ease of attendance, access to recorded sessions, teacher support, and cost-effectiveness. However, some students also considered online education ineffective and reported challenges, such as technical issues, diminished concentration, lack of motivation and discipline, limited interaction, and class participation. EFL learners also provided suggestions for improving the curriculum, assessment methods, and instructors' teaching approaches.

Vocational education practitioners must participate in professional development (PD) activities so they may implement contemporary teaching practices to support their students. Long-term, social types of activity are best because they benefit individuals and groups of practitioners and the training organisations for which they work. However, training provider managers often favour short and individual activities which are cheaper to resource. Not much has been previously known about the financial and time costs incurred by individual practitioners which may act as a deterrent for practitioners to continue in the sector. Our research addressed that gap for Western Australian VET practitioners by examining data collected from an online survey. The survey collected quantitative information from 30 volunteer WA VET practitioners about their activities in a twelve-month period. Using human capital theory underpinning data analysis, we show that at no stage of a VET practitioner's career was there a positive return on investment for the personally incurred cost of PD. We argue that acts as a deterrent to working as a VET practitioner which has ramifications for training provider operational efficiency, and the wider VET sector. There appears to be a misappropriation of pay scales based on applicable employment conditions which indicates sectoral underpayment.

This work provides an overview of the use of Virtual Reality (VR) technology in the context of training through the documentation of a project produced by Ohio University's Game Research and Immersive Design (GRID) Lab involving the development of a cine-VR series for police officer training in areas such as suicide prevention, mental health, crisis intervention, domestic violence resolution, and school violence prevention. The article starts by introducing the concept of VR training with its subdivisions and its benefits, including the promotion of learning and empathy through immersion. Followingly, it describes the process of planning for a VR training. Subsequently, it breaks down the several stages of creating VR training content from scenario exploration, scriptwriting, recording, to postproduction. In conclusion, this paper recognizes the challenges of creating compelling VR content such as storytelling, editing, and resources. Additionally, it attempts to pave the way for similar VR training projects by providing recommendations and emphasizing the importance of communication, adaptability, and experimentation.

Knowledge applied to innovation is increasingly recognized as an explanatory factor of economic growth. Innovation derives from applying knowledge to generate new products or processes. National Innovation Systems (NIS) performs as the formal or informal network of people within institutions interacting to produce and apply knowledge to innovation. NIS can be understood as two subsystems: one based on scientific and technological work, producing codified products (publications and patents), and the other centered on practical actions to diffuse, apply, and use knowledge. Our objective is to assess cost efficiency in the production of codified knowledge outputs (CKO), being our unit of analysis NIS (countries). To attain our goal, we apply a Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) to estimate a cost frontier of CKO. The panel sample includes 1189 observations for 23 years (1996-2019) and 82 countries. Our main results identify determinants and patterns of efficiency and productivity, tendencies, and specifics of countries and groups of them.

In many fields, AI chatbots continue to be popular with new tools and attract the attention of universities, K12 schools, educational organizations, and researchers. The aim of this research is to review the research on AI chatbots by restricting it to the category of education and to examine this research from a methodological point of view. Therefore, we performed a systematic literature review with a sample of 37 SSCI articles published in the educational context. Within the scope of the selected studies, the advantages and disadvantages of AI chatbots in education for students and educators, as well as the types of chatbots used, year, keywords, and method were analyzed. According to the research results, increased motivation to learn and language skill development are advantages for students, while cost-effectiveness and reduced workload are advantages for educators. Limited interaction, misleading answers for learners, originality, and plagiarism are the most common disadvantages for educators. The study also includes research results and recommendations related to the methodological review.

Immunization is a highly cost-effective investment in health, proven to be an effective tool in controlling and eliminating dangerous infectious diseases. Health science students require evidence-based knowledge to tackle challenges in healthcare, particularly in the field of vaccination. The aim of the current study is to asses students' knowledge on vaccinations and further explore their feedback after attending Educating Vaccination Competence web-based course (EDUVAC web-based course). Students from five Higher Educational Institutes voluntarily participated in the EDUVAC web-based course. The course provided various study materials, including PowerPoint presentations, videos, quizzes, texts, and references to reputable websites. It also offered small assignments and self-tests for self-evaluation. An online questionnaire was available to students before and after they completed the EDUVAC web-based course. The mean knowledge score on vaccines increased significantly after the EDUVAC web-based course (p<0.001). The majority of the students (95%) felt that the web-based course has benefitted them for their future career and 96.4% would encourage other students to attend the EDUVAC web-based course. Overall, our findings suggest that EDUVAC is a valuable resource for those seeking to enhance their understanding of vaccination.

Edgenuity is a one of a multitude of digital support tools for instruction and intervention. In 2019,a School District in the South began using Edgenuity -- a digital intervention platform focused on grade and credit recovery. This current study evaluated Edgenuity to determine its effects on students learning and the associated cost. For the 2022-2023 school year, a total of 2371 students entered the platform and participated in approximately 5447 courses, and students spent a total of 177,022 hours on the platform. Quantitative methodologies were utilized to examine the effects of each current program. Data collected included individual student data including grade, school, courses attempted, overall course grade, time spent on platform, length of enrollment as well as assessment data from the Florida Reporting System for SY2023. Additional data were collected on students' graduation measures, including credits earned over time, GPA over time, and graduation requirement status (such as concordant scores) over time. Based on the quantitative results, it appears that the utilization of Edgenuity is associated with student growth higher than standard student growth measures, even when students in the platform are scoring significantly lower than their academic peers. Students completing coursework in Edgenuity had higher growth in both ELA, d = 0.12**, and math, d = 0.12*. When considering just academic outcomes, Edgenuity has an ROI of 12%, however when adding credits earned to the measurement, the ROI is between 22% (current) and 53% (potential) depending on how many students currently in progress on their courses complete the course and pass their exam with the requisite grade. While the direct cost of Edgenuity ($49.31 per course) is very high in comparison to other digital interventions Edgenuity still provides a return on the investment made and provides the further benefit of allowing students to earn a credit and correct their path towards graduation when they otherwise would not have had the opportunity. It is recommended that schools continue the use of the Edgenuity platform.

Cluster randomized trials (CRTs) are commonly used to evaluate the causal effects of educational interventions, where the entire clusters (e.g., schools) are randomly assigned to treatment or control conditions. This study introduces statistical methods for designing and analyzing two-level (e.g., students nested within schools) and three-level (e.g., students nested within classrooms nested within schools) CRTs. Specifically, we utilize hierarchical linear models (HLMs) to account for the dependency of the intervention participants within the same clusters, estimating the average treatment effects (ATEs) of educational interventions and other effects of interest (e.g., moderator and mediator effects). We demonstrate methods and tools for sample size planning and statistical power analysis. Additionally, we discuss common challenges and potential solutions in the design and analysis phases, including the effects of omitting one level of clustering, non-compliance, heterogeneous variance, blocking, threats to external validity, and cost-effectiveness of the intervention. We conclude with some practical suggestions for CRT design and analysis, along with recommendations for further readings.

Many schools face barriers that hinder access to services, including limited funding and staff trained in evidence-based interventions. In particular, rural schools must provide targeted intervention to promote academic growth and narrow achievement gaps despite these barriers. One seldom-considered solution to ease the resource costs in the provision of intervention services is to provide high school students with the training and supervision necessary to carry them out. Thirty elementary students participated in an explicit timing intervention administered by either a high school student or graduate student in school psychology. A 2 × 2 mixed factorial ANOVA found significant growth from pre- to post-test with no effects of interventionist education level. These findings imply that school-based interventionists may be able to expand the reach of their practice by recruiting and training older students to carry out interventions.

This study compares the costs of a school-based online credit recovery model to more traditional teacher-directed credit recovery using rigorous cost analysis methods. Findings indicate that differences in the comprehensive costs for online and teacher-directed credit recovery classes are small. However, cost differences across the two models of specific types of resources are substantial and statistically significant. Online credit recovery classes resulted in higher district-incurred costs largely due to the purchase of online curricula and required technology. The online model incurred lower opportunity costs to teachers stemming from less out-of-class time devoted to grading, lesson planning, and developing course materials.

A growing body of social science research investigates whether the economic payoff to a college education is heterogeneous -- in particular, whether disadvantaged youth can benefit more from attending and completing college relative to their more advantaged peers. Scholars, however, have employed different analytical strategies and reported mixed findings. To shed light on this literature, I propose a causal mediation approach to conceptualizing, evaluating, and unpacking the causal effects of college on earnings. By decomposing the total effect of attending a four-year college into several direct and indirect components, this approach not only clarifies the mechanisms through which college attendance boosts earnings, but illuminates the ways in which the postsecondary system may be "both an equalizer and a stratifier." The total effect of college attendance, its direct and indirect components, and their heterogeneity across different subpopulations are all identified under the assumption of sequential ignorability. I introduce a debiased machine learning (DML) method for estimating all quantities of interest, along with a set of bias formulas for sensitivity analysis. I illustrate the proposed framework and methodology using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997 cohort.

Intensive interventions are time- and resource-demanding interventions designed to be implemented with a single student with unique learning needs. Economic evaluation provides a methodology for evaluating the time and material resource costs of implementing these interventions to provide detailed feasibility information for educators considering their implementation. This study presents a cost analysis of the time and materials required to implement an intensive intervention, I-Connect, and compares those costs to the reported effects, from the perspective of the intervention agent and recipient (i.e., teacher and student) using time as the primary cost metric. The results suggest the total time cost of implementing I-Connect falls within the time teachers and students are likely to have available. Furthermore, teachers will likely find I-Connect to be a cost-effective option for generating a 50% increase in on-task behavior if they have an initial 40 min of available time to become familiar with the intervention procedures, prepare the intervention, train the student to engage in self-monitoring, and initiate a 10-min session of I-Connect. Limitations and future research directions for the economic evaluation of intensive interventions are discussed.

Rheumatic diseases are known to be associated with the development of metabolic syndrome, which increases mortality rates due to cardiovascular complications. Although a variety of self-management programs for rheumatic diseases have been developed, few have concentrated on metabolic syndrome. This study aimed to develop and verify a blended (a mixture of telephone and online interventions) metabolic syndrome self-management program. The program was developed in four stages: analysis to identify program contents, website design, website development, and validity testing. A quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group, pretest-posttest design was adopted to verify the program effectiveness in 54 patients with rheumatic disease. The program was initially implemented via telephone for 4 weeks and then self-administered via a web-based platform for 20 weeks. Indices of metabolic syndrome and self-management and quality of life scores were measured as outcome variables. Data were collected three times: before intervention, after 4 weeks of telephone interventions, and after 20 weeks of online self-interventions. The devised program had a significant overall effect on metabolic syndrome indices, metabolic syndrome-related self-management behaviors, and quality of life. Detailed analysis showed the program effectively reduced body mass index, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, and blood glucose levels and improved metabolic syndrome self-management behaviors. Based on our findings, it can be expected that the use of this program may retard or prevent the progression of metabolic syndrome by improving some metabolic syndrome indices and metabolic syndrome-related self-management behaviors, which are key components of care in rheumatic disease patients with metabolic syndrome. This web-based program appears to be beneficial in public health care settings because it is cost-effective, readily available, and may provide long-term support.

Metacognition awareness is a fundamental skill for the 21st century. Accurately measuring metacognitive awareness would be highly relevant regardless of age, background, or cognitive abilities. The current study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the 19-item Metacognitive Awareness Inventory-Arabic version (MAI-A) in the general population of Saudi Arabia. The current study employed Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega (reliability), and average variance extracted and composite reliability (validity to evaluate the psychometric properties of MAI-A among a sample of the Arabian population. Measurement invariance across male and female samples had been conducted. Finally, the Exploratory Graph Analysis (EGA) was used to estimate the dimensional structure of the MAI. In the first step, quantitative face validity was presented to remove the one on the items because of poor indexes. So, the evaluated version was 18 items MAI. Also, the first-order and second-order CFA confirmed the 2-factor model. So, the 18-item MAI presented suitable internal consistency. Second-order average variance extracted validity showed suitable validity of the MAI-A. According to [delta]CFI and [delta]RMSEA, there was no gender invariance between males and females in the MAI-A structure. Finally, the EGA estimated a 3-dimensional structure of the MAI, which was different from the factor structure in the CFA. The MAI-A is a practical and cost-effective tool for evaluating metacognitive awareness in Arab populations. However, future studies should be conducted due to differences between traditional methods (CFA)I and novel methods (EGA) in extracting factors.

In recent years, there has been considerable investment at the European Union level in expanding early childhood education and care (ECEC) facilities. In line with this quantitative substantial initiative, research and social policies are increasingly focusing on the quality of such facilities. High quality depends, among other things, on well-trained early childhood educators. This poses a dilemma for early childhood educators for various reasons; there is a shortage of skilled early childhood professionals, so that low-skilled staff are also being employed in early childhood education facilities. Online formats for professional development can contribute to the professionalisation of the ECEC system through vocational training. Since these formats are designed and produced to high professional and technical standards, they can be cost-effective thanks to their multiple uses and because they can often be completed by participants independent of time and location. This article presents an empirically studied blended e-learning training format based on the principles of co-constructivist didactics. The content focuses on the quality of interaction between early childhood professionals and children. Before and after the training course was completed, standardised non-participant observations were conducted in Austrian, German, Hungarian, Slovenian, Italian, and Portuguese early childhood education and care institutions. The before/after measurements (N = 43) showed a significant effect on the quality of interaction between the early childhood professionals and the children.

This study examines cooperative collection development (CCD) for area studies and foreign language collections at Association of Research Libraries (ARL) libraries, based on a 2020 survey. Respondents provided details about cooperative collection initiatives (CCIs) at their libraries and their attitudes toward CCD. Most respondents had a favorable opinion of CCD, citing access to a broader collection of materials and cost savings as primary reasons. Challenges include the work and time involved in managing CCIs. This composite picture of how libraries build collaborative collections and the perceived benefits and challenges of CCD will inform librarians and administrators alike as they consider how best to build area studies and foreign language collections.

Public educational systems and institutions have increased their adoption of proprietary educational platforms offered by large private corporations. Platforms now critically mediate content creation and storage, interaction and communication, record-keeping and institutional memory. This platformization of education has led to significant risks to data collection and privacy, technological lock-in and dependency, and educational governance. In this article, the principles of Open Education are presented as a framework to guide the adoption of technological platforms and services in education. Data and examples are presented to demonstrate the significant scope of the integration of platforms within the context of South American higher education and show how it has negatively impacted educational governance. The article concludes with a presentation of alternative models for the adoption of platforms in education guided by public values and not solely by cost savings that reflect a disregard for their adverse impacts on educational governance, privacy, and autonomy.

Traditional teaching methods struggle to convey three-dimensional concepts effectively. While 3D virtual models and virtual reality platforms offer a promising approach to teaching anatomy, their cost and specialized equipment pose limitations, especially in disadvantaged areas. A simpler alternative is to use virtual 3D models displayed on regular screens, but they lack immersion, realism, and stereoscopic vision. To address these challenges, we developed an affordable method utilizing smartphone-based 360° photogrammetry, virtual camera recording, and stereoscopic display (anaglyph or side-by-side technique). In this study, we assessed the feasibility of this method by subjecting it to various specimen types: osteological, soft organ, neuroanatomical, regional dissection, and a dedicated 3D-printed testing phantom. The results demonstrate that the 3D models obtained feature a complete mesh with a high level of detail and a realistic texture. Mesh and texture resolutions were estimated to be approximately 1 and 0.2 mm, respectively. Additionally, stereoscopic animations were both feasible and effective in enhancing depth perception. The simplicity and affordability of this method position it as a technique of choice for creating easily photorealistic anatomical models combined with stereoscopic depth visualization.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) can be considered an important tool for professionals to reskill and upskill as well as a cost-efficient way to stay relevant. However, evidence-based research is still needed to identify why specific categories of people, especially professionals, take paid MOOCs. The paper aims to analyze the factors that influence IT working Professionals to adopt paid MOOCs using the UTAUT 2 model. Based on a survey conducted on 250 respondents, the study uses multiple regression to understand the significance of factors affecting the intention to adopt paid MOOCs. A multigroup analysis was also done to understand the differences among different age groups and genders. The results establish that social influence, facilitating conditions, brand credibility and price value are significant in the adoption of MOOCs. Performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and curiosity were found to be insignificant. Based on the research findings, the implication of the study and future scope for research have been suggested.

This article describes the development and use of a first of its kind statewide implementation of an adapted Early Start Denver Model (ESDM). Supported by a collaborative partnership between stakeholders that included families, state agencies, and a state university, the intervention was implemented within the existing framework of a northeastern state's relationship-based Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C early intervention program. Participants were 194 families. The study examined the effectiveness and implementation costs of an adaptation of the ESDM using a coaching model to inform statewide implementation to improve outcomes for young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in rural and low-resource states. Results indicated 194 children who received a monthly average of 10.90 hr of adapted ESDM for an average of 12 months demonstrated an improvement in the frequency of ASD symptomology for a total cost of US$2,511/child. Intervention intensity and child factors demonstrated varying influence on outcomes. This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating the potential for positive impact of an evidence-based practice scaled to a statewide model of early intervention for young children with ASD.

Utilization of telehealth in school-based health centers (SBHCs) is increasing rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study used a quasi-experimental design to evaluate the effect on school absences and cost-benefit of telehealth-exclusive SBHCs at 6 elementary schools from 2015-2017. The effect of telehealth on absences was estimated compared to students without telehealth using negative binomial regression controlling for absences and health suite visits in 2014 and sociodemographic characteristics. The sample included 7,164 observations from 4,203 students. Telehealth was associated with a 7.7% (p = 0.025; 95% CI: 1.0%, 14%) reduction in absences (0.60 days/year). The program cost $189,000/yr and an estimated total benefit of $384,995 (95% CI: $60,416; $687,479) and an annual net benefit of $195,873 (95% CI: -$128,706; $498,357). While this cost-benefit analysis is limited by a lack of data on total healthcare utilization, the use of telehealth-exclusive SBHCs can improve student health and attendance while delivering cost savings to society.

The information explosion and digital modes of learning often combine to inform the quest for the best ways of transforming information in digital form for pedagogical purposes. This quest has become more urgent and pervasive with the 'turn' to online learning in the context of COVID-19. This can result in linear, asynchronous, transmission-based modes of teaching and learning which commodify, package and deliver knowledge for individual 'customers'. The primary concerns in such models are often technical and economic -- technology as a cost-effective 'solution' to educational challenges. In this paper I argue for the importance of dialogic learning space in teaching and learning by means of Information and Communication Technologies, whether in the form of fully online learning, blended learning or face-to-face encounters using ICT affordances. Although the 20th Century theorists Mikhail Bakhtin (1895-1975) and Hans-Georg Gadamer (1900-2002) produced their seminal works before the advent of ICTs, they were both concerned with the quality and authenticity of human engagement with texts and with other persons and contexts. Besides a shared interest in dialogue as an ontological feature of human life and being, they both used spatiotemporal concepts for understanding and interpreting texts. The article draws on Gadamer's notions of dialogue and horizon, and Bakhtin's notions of dialogue and chronotope, to conceptualize dialogic possibilities for online education. Its purpose is to provide a framework, grounded in Bakhtin's and Gadamer's ideas, for a dialogic approach to online teaching and learning in higher education.

This paper introduces a Patron Counting and Analysis (PCA) system that leverages Wi-Fi-connection data to monitor space utilization and analyze visitor patterns in academic libraries. The PCA system offers real-time crowding information to the public and a comprehensive visitor analysis dashboard for library administrators. The system's development was driven by the need for occupancy restrictions during the pandemic, ensuring a spacious environment for library visitors as well as balancing between efficient utilization and adhering to social distancing regulations. Traditional methods of patron behavior performance and library spatial analysis, such as manual head counting or card-swiping systems, often incur additional costs for labor, hardware installation, or software subscription. The PCA system, however, utilizes existing Wi-Fi-connection data, providing a cost-effective solution to represent patron demographics and spatial usage. Limitations may arise when patrons do not carry Wi-Fi-enabled devices or during periods of low Wi-Fi service functionality. Implemented in Node.js and integrated with Python Flask framework and related libraries, the PCA system was piloted at the King Library in Miami University, successfully demonstrating a high validity compared to manually collected data. It filters out noise and redundancy, visualizes the occupancy index meter in real time, and generates statistical reports by linking user IDs with demographic information. The PCA system's reliability was validated through manually head counting data collected at the King Library in Miami University, establishing it as a reliable tool for library space management and patron analysis.

Many autistic children access some form of early intervention, but little is known about the value for money of different programs. We completed a scoping review of full economic evaluations of early interventions for autistic children and/or their families. We identified nine studies and reviewed their methods and quality. Most studies involved behavioral interventions. Two were trial-based, and the others used various modelling methods. Clinical measures were often used to infer dependency levels and quality-adjusted life-years. No family-based or negative outcomes were included. Authors acknowledged uncertain treatment effects. We conclude that economic evaluations in this field are sparse, methods vary, and quality is sometimes poor. Economic research is needed alongside longer-term clinical trials, and outcome measurement in this population requires further exploration.

Implementation support for prevention interventions is receiving increased attention, as many organizations receive training in evidence-based practices but do not deliver the interventions optimally. The "Body Project," a four-session program, significantly reduces eating disorder symptoms and future disorder onset among group participants when delivered by peer educators at colleges/universities. Costs and cost-effectiveness of the program were examined using data from a randomized trial that compared three levels of implementation support at 63 colleges: (1) a train-the-trainer (TTT) workshop alone; (2) TTT plus a technical assistance (TA) workshop; or (3) TTT plus TA plus monthly quality assurance (QA) consultations. Effectiveness was measured by the production of reliable change in eating disorder symptoms from pretest to posttest. Costs and cost-effectiveness of two levels of implementation support are reported, comparing TTT-only with TTT + TA + QA (effectiveness of the TTT + TA condition did not differ from TTT-only) and using results from an earlier study as a proxy for a no-treatment control. Two perspectives are considered: a sponsoring organization providing the training at multiple sites and a college delivering the intervention to its eligible students. From the perspective of a sponsoring organization, adding both the TA training and QA support improves the cost-effectiveness per eligible student receiving the intervention. From the perspective of costs for a college to deliver the intervention, receiving TA training and QA support is also more cost-effective than the training workshop alone, whether the peer educators are paid or unpaid and whether costs of group supervision are included or excluded. Results converge with previous research showing that more intensive implementation support can be more cost-effective.

The COVID-19 viral global pandemic has impacted society in profound ways over the past two years, including transformations to the traditional collegiate journey. Online education became a predominant way of delivering courses during much of the COVID-19 pandemic; however, current student perceptions and preferences are not clear to higher education stakeholders and policy makers. This study explores college course delivery trends, investigates the magnitude of pedagogical shifts during the unprecedented times of COVID-19, uncovers changes in online education perspectives and preferences among undergraduate college students, and addresses various benefits to students when elements of online education are offered. A quali-quant mixed methods research approach was implemented to expand the study from 12 participants in the original qualitative sample to a total of 351 research participants with the addition of a quantitative sample. Most of the research participants from this sample of the population experienced renewed perspectives toward online learning over the past two years, and most of these undergraduate college students expressed a top preference for hybrid (46.3%) or HyFlex (23.6%) course delivery modalities now and into the future. [The volume number on the article (42) is incorrect. The correct volume is 43.]

This study examined the economic benefits of higher education in Ethiopia. It utilized a quantitative research approach. The study revealed that the benefit-cost ratio (BCR) for secondary and higher education is 1.97 and 1.84 respectively. This implies that both levels of education provide benefits outweighing their costs. Regarding the private and social rate of return, they were 68% and 23% respectively. These figures reveal that both the private and social benefits are higher than the those found in any previous studies. Lastly, higher education has the highest rate of return for employees of three key sectors-that is, teacher education, agriculture, and health sciences-with an estimated value of 23, 15.3, 16.3 per cent increases to earnings compared to 3.8 for secondary education. In conclusion, the increasing pattern of high private rates of return to higher education shows that a shift of the education cost burden from the social to the private might be accomplished through loan schemes in higher education.

The writing retreat has been positioned as an effective response to the pressure to "publish or perish" in higher education. An academic writing retreat is a professional development event that allows scholars to immerse themselves in writing for publication and to receive on-site support for that writing. In 2012, the Office of Research and Innovation Services at the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario, Canada introduced a biannual writing retreat for faculty and staff across the disciplines. This program evaluation examines 252 retreat evaluations submitted between 2015 and 2019. Our goal is to identify what participants perceive to be the benefits of the retreats. A review of the international research literature suggests primary benefits of retreats include protected writing time and space, the development of a sense of community, increased motivation to write, increased productivity during retreats, and organizational investment in follow-up support. These findings are consistent with our study. However, the overarching benefit of our retreats lies in their development of a supportive community of writing practice that extends back to campus. Participants report their retreat experience is reshaping the ways that they write elsewhere, and that they are collaborating on projects with other retreat participants. This research contributes a Canadian example to a growing body of evidence that suggests retreats can help academic writers prioritize the task of writing over other conflicting demands. A unique contribution of the study is its cost-effective, flexible, interdisciplinary, day-away retreat model, which is an alternative to the discipline-specific, residential retreats within the literature.