scholarly journals Learning Analytics: Pathways to Impact

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Linda Corrin ◽  
Maren Scheffel ◽  
Dragan Gašević
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Analytics ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Personalised Learning ◽  
The Past ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Context Of Learning ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Effective Design

The field of learning analytics has evolved over the past decade to provide new ways to view, understand and enhance learning activities and environments in higher education. It brings together research and practice traditions from multiple disciplines to provide an evidence base to inform student support and effective design for learning. This has resulted in a plethora of ideas and research exploring how data can be analysed and utilised to not only inform educators, but also to drive online learning systems that offer personalised learning experiences and/or feedback for students. However, a core challenge that the learning analytics community continues to face is how the impact of these innovations can be demonstrated. Where impact is positive, there is a case for continuing or increasing the use of learning analytics, however, there is also the potential for negative impact which is something that needs to be identified quickly and managed. As more institutions implement strategies to take advantage of learning analytics as part of core business, it is important that impact can be evaluated and addressed to ensure effectiveness and sustainability. In this editorial of the AJET special issue dedicated to the impact of learning analytics in higher education, we consider what impact can mean in the context of learning analytics and what the field needs to do to ensure that there are clear pathways to impact that result in the development of systems, analyses, and interventions that improve the educational environment.

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

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

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

Embedding employability within higher education for the profession of policing

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-328
Author(s):  
Ian Pepper ◽  
Ruth McGrath
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Educational Provision ◽  
Professional Body ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of an employability module, the College of Policing Certificate in Knowledge of Policing (CKP), on students’ career aspirations, their confidence and wish to join the police along with the appropriateness of the module. This will inform the implementation of employability as part of the College of Policing-managed Police Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF). Design/methodology/approach A three-year longitudinal research study used mixed methods across four points in time to evaluate the impact on students studying the employability module. Findings The research suggests that the employability-focussed CKP was useful as an introduction to policing, it developed interest in the police and enhanced the confidence of learners applying to join. Lessons learnt from the CKP should be considered during the implementation of the PEQF. Research limitations/implications The ability to generalise findings across different groups is limited as other influences may impact on a learner’s confidence and employability. However, the implications for the PEQF curriculum are worthy of consideration. Practical implications As the police service moves towards standardised higher educational provision and evolution of policing as a profession, lessons can be learnt from the CKP with regards to the future employability of graduates. Originality/value Enhancing the employability evidence base, focussing on policing, the research identified aspects which may impact on graduates completing a degree mapped to the PEQF. The research is therefore of value to higher education and the professional body for policing.

scholarly journals Validating the technology-assisted supplemental work scale (TASW)

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 475-481
Author(s):  
Kajal Kotecha ◽  
Wilfred Isioma Ukpere ◽  
Madelyn Geldenhuys
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Information Communication Technologies ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
The Impact

The traditional advantage of using Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) to enhance work flexibility also has a drawback of enabling academics to continue working even after regular working hours. This phenomenon has been referred to as technology-assisted supplemental work (TASW). Although TASW enhances academics’ work productively, they also have a negative impact on their family-life. The impact TASW has on academics and on higher education institutions can be understood by measuring the phenomenon properly by using a reliable and valid scale. The aim of this study is too validate a newly developed TASW scale by Fenner and Renn (2010). This study adopted a quantitative research approach and used an online survey to gather data. The sample included academic from a higher education in South Africa (n = 216). The results indicate that the TASW is a valid and reliable measure of technology among the sample of South African academics.

scholarly journals A Reflective Analysis on Neurodiversity and Student Wellbeing: Conceptualising Practical Strategies for Inclusive Practice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elliott Spaeth ◽  
Amy Pearson
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
Relevant Theory ◽  
Inclusive Practice ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Learning Behaviours

With the number of neurodivergent students entering Higher Education increasing, it is essential that we understand how to provide an inclusive educational experience which facilitates positive wellbeing. In this reflective analysis we draw upon our position as neurodivergent academics alongside relevant theory and literature to foster understanding and provide practical strategies for those supporting neurodivergent students. We emphasise the importance of questioning normative assumptions around expected student learning behaviours, and the negative impact that these assumptions can have upon neurodivergent students. We then provide several practical strategies that can be used to develop more inclusive practice, drawing upon principles embedded within a Universal Design for Learning approach.

scholarly journals Some results of studying the impact of digital technologies upon learning activities

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Elvira Vitaljevna Burtseva ◽  
Olga Chepak ◽  
Olga Kulikova
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Impact

The subject of this research is the implementation of digital technologies in educational process of a university. The goal consists in studying the impact of digital technologies upon the students’ learning activities. The article presents the results of questionnaire-based survey among students by the three question pools. In the course of research, the author examines such aspects of the problem, as the positive and negative impact of technologies upon learning activities of the students of digital generation. Particular attention is given to consideration of students’ attitude on digitalization of higher education. The opinions of pedagogues on the results of conducted research are presented. The scientific novelty lies in mainstreaming the question on the negative impact of digital technologies upon learning activities of the modern generation of students that deserves special attention. On the background of common passion of the scholars of researchers and pedagogues for the ideas of digitalization of education, when digital technologies are viewed as virtually the key factor for modernization of educational process; second come the problems of growing pathological dependence of youth on digital technologies, undesired to switch to digitalized educational process to the disadvantage of communication in social networks and pleasant pastime online. The problem of the negative effect of digital technologies on learning activities must be recognized in order to find the ways for its solution.

It's all in the past: how do colonial legacies between host and home countries affect the expatriate experience?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Colonial Legacy ◽  
The Past ◽  
Host Country Nationals ◽  
Practical Experiences ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

PurposeWithin the expatriation subset of the wider IB literature, the focus of research has been on contemporary contextual factors. The purpose of this paper is to link the present to the past by investigating how the individual expatriate experience may be affected by a colonial legacy between host and home countries.Design/methodology/approachGiven the exploratory nature of this study, a qualitative interview-based approach eliciting thick, detailed descriptions of the practical experiences of seven Japanese expatriate managers working in Malaysia was adopted. These were supplemented by additional interviews with three host-country nationals who work alongside some of the expatriates. The data were analysed through a two-stage coding process.FindingsThe expatriate respondents were largely unanimous in their view that the colonial past between the two countries had no negative impact on their experiences in Malaysia, and the Malaysian interviewees corroborated this. On the contrary, the majority of the expatriates actually spoke positively about their experiences. This was especially true for expatriates in both the tourism and education/research field whose work was linked in some way to the period of Japanese occupation.Research limitations/implicationsThe small, single-context nature of the investigation limits generalisation. There are also many particularities in this study (the nature of Japanese-Malaysian postcolonial relations, cultural values of the Malaysians and Japanese, and so on) that are perhaps not easily relatable to other contexts. Having said this, qualitative research is not always geared towards generalisability but rather towards contextual intricacies and nuances.Originality/valueWhile most of the extant literature on expatriation has examined largely contemporary factors, this paper explores the impact of more historical events on the expatriate experience. Although such events may seem distant from an expatriate's current activities, this study suggests that in certain circumstances, they may have a lingering effect.

scholarly journals Dietary Care for ADPKD Patients: Current Status and Future Directions

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sol Carriazo ◽  
Maria Vanessa Perez-Gomez ◽  
Adrian Cordido ◽  
Miguel Angel García-González ◽  
Ana Belen Sanz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Aerobic Glycolysis ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Dietary Recommendations ◽  
Preclinical Research ◽  
Ketogenic Diets ◽  
Modifiable Factors ◽  
Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney ◽  
The Impact

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common genetic nephropathy, and tolvaptan is the only therapy available. However, tolvaptan slows but does not stop disease progression, is marred by polyuria, and most patients worldwide lack access. This and recent preclinical research findings on the glucose-dependency of cyst-lining cells have renewed interest in the dietary management of ADPKD. We now review the current dietary recommendations for ADPKD patients according to clinical guidelines, the evidence base for those, and the potential impact of preclinical studies addressing the impact of diet on ADPKD progression. The clinical efficacy of tolvaptan has put the focus on water intake and solute ingestion as modifiable factors that may impact tolvaptan tolerance and ADPKD progression. By contrast, dietary modifications suggested to ADPKD patients, such as avoiding caffeine, are not well supported and their impact is unknown. Recent studies have identified a chronic shift in energy production from mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis (Warburg effect) as a contributor to cyst growth, rendering cyst cells exquisitely sensitive to glucose availability. Therefore, low calorie or ketogenic diets have delayed preclinical ADPKD progression. Additional preclinical data warn of potential negative impact of excess dietary phosphate or oxalate in ADPKD progression.

scholarly journals Second Life and Academia – Reframing the Debate between Supporters and Critics

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Kurt Herold
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Second Life ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Virtual Campus ◽  
The Many ◽  
The Impact

The introduction of new ICTs in education is usually discussed in terms of the many benefits new technologies offer, or of the negative impact they might have on the lives of their users. Focusing on the introduction of the 3D online world "Second Life" into higher education, this article shows how such discourses lead to an impasse between the advocates and the critics of new ICTs in education. To break the impasse, and to understand the impact of Second Life, or other ICTs, on education, requires a far more differentiated approach than the discourses around Second Life have shown so far. Based on the experiences of the author in creating a virtual campus for the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Second Life, the article advocates a shift in focus from the discussion of powerful ICTs and their impact on largely passive users, to the study of active individuals, and the ways in which they integrate new ICTs into their pre-existing social and technological practices.

Doing Time Wisely: The Social and Personal Benefits of Higher Education in Prison

2018 ◽  
Vol 98 (4) ◽  
pp. 490-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jillian Baranger ◽  
Danielle Rousseau ◽  
Mary Ellen Mastrorilli ◽  
James Matesanz
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Postsecondary Education ◽  
Attitudes And Behaviors ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Social ◽  
Women's Prison ◽  
Women's Imprisonment ◽  
Education Effects ◽  
Impact Of Higher Education ◽  
The Impact

Much of the research on postsecondary education effects on incarcerated individuals has focused on men. However, given the increased rates of women’s imprisonment over the past 40 years, scholars should examine the impact of higher education in prison on women. In this qualitative study, the authors assess the social and personal benefits of participating in a college behind bars program delivered in a women’s prison. Data gathered with both program participants and faculty suggest that students in the program experienced a reduction in criminogenic attitudes and behaviors as well as positive changes in self-perception.

Does working to pay for higher education really harm French academic results?

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 591-615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liliane Bonnal ◽  
Pascal Favard ◽  
Kady Marie-Danielle Sorho-Body
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Drop Out ◽  
First Year ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Student Profiles ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Academic Results

Purpose This paper is the first of its kind to look at first-year undergraduates in France. The purpose of this paper is to measure the impact of holding down a job on the probability of students dropping out of higher education or passing their first year. Design/methodology/approach Given the existence of relevant unobserved explanatory variables, probit models with two simultaneous equations have been estimated. The first equation will enable us to explain paid employment or working hours, and the second academic outcomes that allow for dropout. Findings The results show that being employed means students are more likely to drop out during their first year and less likely to pass. The latter finding is comparable with results for subsequent academic years although the impact is greater for first-year undergraduates. The more intensive the work, the greater the adverse effects of employment. Originality/value By refining the research, this negative impact of employment is not verified for all the student profiles. For some of them, e.g., those with honours at the secondary bachelor, employment does not harm their academic results.

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