Evaluating the level of degree programmes in higher education: the case of nursing

The European Quality Assurance system demands that the degree programme level is represented in terms of quantitative outcomes to be valid and reliable. To meet this need the Educational Level Evaluator (ELE) was devised. This conceptually designed procedure with instrumentation aiming to evaluate the level of a degree validly and reliably still needed empirical evidence. In this study the ELE was carried out in collaboration with five professional bachelor nursing degree programmes. The degree programme level was conceptualised into disciplinary thinking and professional attitude. Disciplinary thinking refers to higher order thinking on complex disciplinary problems. Professional attitude refers to processing attitudinal characteristics of the profession that the study addresses. The level was operationalised into themes, resulting in good face validity: nursing science, care plan, diagnosing, and nurse–person relationships, and specified by learning outcomes representing the bachelor level (0.78). The learning outcomes were processed in a questionnaire for recent graduates (N?=?470). Four components ≥ 1 eigenvalue measured the conceptualised themes explaining 72–80% variance and scale reliability from 0.78 in the single samples. With this study the level was evaluated validly and reliably and the conceptual design was demonstrated to be evidence-based.     

Different,yet similar: factors motivating international degree collaboration in higher education. The case of Finnish-Russian double degree programmes

ABSTRACT

The study investigates factors motivating universities to engage in international degree collaboration. The Finnish-Russian university framework is used as the locus for studying international collaboration. The paper employs resource dependency and institutional, stakeholder and market push and pull perspectives in a conceptual model explaining the drivers of international degree collaboration. The research focuses on the interaction of the various factors that motivate partners to seek international degree cooperation, possible sources of conflict, and issues of compatibility and complementarity. In particular, the study compares the roles of different stakeholders and the institutional contexts of Finland and Russia. The motives of the Finnish and Russian universities included in the study were found to be generally compatible, yet different enough to complement each other.     

Academics’ perceptions of collaboration in higher education course design

ABSTRACT

There is little empirical research related to the readiness and capacity of academics for team-based collaboration. This case study used the existing literature about collaboration as a term of reference to examine the perceptions of a group of academics engaged in course design and how prepared they were individually and as teams for collaboration. The study found that participants recognised and understood the key elements that distinguish collaboration from other forms of interaction. However, they did not express a depth of understanding about the cognitive and social capacities required for collaboration and the skills, structures and processes necessary to enable team-based collaborative practice. While the participants felt they were willing and largely prepared as individuals for collaboration, closer scrutiny indicated substantial variation in their reports about the willingness, knowledge and skills of the teams on which they served. In addition, participants reported that current conditions at the institutional level serve as inhibitors to collaboration in course design. This included the absence of committed leadership and organisational supports for collaboration. Participants described the dominant culture as more supportive of individualised, competitive and hierarchical work practices. Under these work conditions, participants noted a reliance on individuals’ goodwill to collaborate in the absence of broader organisational structures and support.     

Applying methods to evaluate construct validity in the context of A level assessment

Validity is a central principle of assessment relating to the appropriateness of the uses and interpretations of test results. Usually, one of the inferences that we wish to make is that the score reflects the extent of a student’s learning in a given domain. Thus, it is important to establish that the assessment tasks elicit performances that reflect the intended constructs. This research explored the use of three methods for evaluating whether there are threats to validity in relation to the constructs elicited in international A level geography examinations: (a) Rasch analysis; (b) analysis of processes expected and apparent when students answer questions; and (c) qualitative analysis of responses to items identified as potentially problematic. The results provided strong evidence to support validity with regard to the elicitation of constructs although one question part was identified as a threat to validity. Strengths and weaknesses of the methods can be identified.     

A methodological review of systematic literature reviews in higher education: Heterogeneity and homogeneity

The field of higher education research has bourgeoned in the past decades, addressing a wide range of topics. Being in a rapidly expanding and interdisciplinary field of research, higher education scholars have demonstrated exigency for aggregating research findings to map the research landscape, identify future research directions, and bridge the research-practice divide. In this connection, systematic literature reviews have been carried out to consolidate research findings. With a proliferation of systematic literature reviews in higher education, the aim of this meta, methodological review is to provide a state-of-the-art systematic literature review methodologies in the field of higher education. Adhering to the exploratory nature of this study, this review analyses systematic literature reviews published in 16 top-tiered international journals in higher education (n = 160). Through qualitative research synthesis using thematic analysis and informed by grounded theory, a methodological framework comprising six stages and 20 steps is developed, which might help to instigate methodological dialogue between researchers when it comes to conducting systematic literature reviews. A handy checklist for conducting and evaluating systematic literature reviews in higher education is created.     

Pathway from vocational education and associate degree to higher education: Chinese international students in Australia

Understanding factors influencing international students' decision to engage in international education is essential for education providers to better cater for students' educational expectations and enhance their attractiveness to international students. Whilst there has been extensive research on the reasons why international students undertake cross-border higher education, international students' motivations for enrolling in vocational education and associate degree programmes are still under-researched. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 30 international students from China, this research found that pathway to higher education appears to be the most important factor motivating international students to undertake vocational education and associate degree programmes. In addition, prospect of immigration, English language proficiency, previous academic performance, agent's recommendations and relatives' and friends' advice are amongst the important factors that students take into account in their decision to choose vocational education and associate degree programmes. This research also examines why Chinese international students have chosen vocational education programmes in a dual-sector university over vocational education colleges. It found that the flexibility to articulate to higher education, international reputation of the programme, practical training and favourable location are key issues that these students draw on when making their decision to study in a dual-sector university.     

Integration of axiomatic design and theory of inventive problem solving for conceptual design

Axiomatic design （AD） and theory of inventive problem solving （TRIZ） are widely used in conceptual design. Both of them have limitations, however. We presented an integrated model of these two methods to increase the efficiency and quality of the problem solving process for conceptual design. AD is used for systematically defining and structuring a problem into a hierarchy. Sometimes, the design matrix is coupled in AD which indicates the functional requirements are coupled. TRIZ separation principles can be used to separate non-independent design parameters, which provide innovative solutions at each hierarchical level. We applied the integrated model to the heating and drying equipment of bitumen reproduction device. The result verifies that the integrated model can work very well in conceptual design.     

福建省高等教育与经济增长的协调度研究

本文从福建省高等教育和经济增长的现状入手,利用复合系统整体协调度原理,研究测算1994-2004年福建省高等教育与经济增长之间的协调度,揭示两者之间的协调度较低但基本呈现出逐年提高的态势,并探讨了相应的政策建议。     

A review of rubric use in higher education

This paper critically reviews the empirical research on the use of rubrics at the post‐secondary level, identifies gaps in the literature and proposes areas in need of research. Studies of rubrics in higher education have been undertaken in a wide range of disciplines and for multiple purposes, including increasing student achievement, improving instruction and evaluating programmes. While, student perceptions of rubrics are generally positive and some authors report positive responses to rubric use by instructors, others noted a tendency for instructors to resist using them. Two studies suggested that rubric use was associated with improved academic performance, while one did not. The potential of rubrics to identify the need for improvements in courses and programmes has been demonstrated. Studies of the validity of rubrics have shown that clarity and appropriateness of language is a central concern. Studies of rater reliability tend to show that rubrics can lead to a relatively common interpretation of student performance. Suggestions for future research include the use of more rigorous research methods, more attention to validity and reliability, a closer focus on learning and research on rubric use in diverse educational contexts.     

Co-creation in higher education: towards a conceptual model

Students have begun to show interest in adopting active and participatory roles that allow them to interact and work collaboratively with educators. One important aspect of students as partners is a process known as value co-creation. Value co-creation is the process of students’ feedback, opinions, and other resources such as their intellectual capabilities and personalities, integrated alongside institutional resources, which can offer mutual value to both students and institutions. This paper presents the first conceptual model of value co-creation in higher education using a lens of co-creation cultivated through business and marketing literature. The model includes key components of value co-creation, co-production, and value-in-use as well as links to the anticipated benefits of value co-creation. The model can be used to inform and guide practice for the faculty and administration within higher education as well as to broaden the foundation of value co-creation literature.     

Internationalisation of higher education: European experiences

‘Internationalisation’ is generally defined as increasing cross-border activities amidst persistence of borders, while ‘globalisation’ refers to similar activities concurrent to an erosion of borders. Study mobility is viewed as the most visible component in this framework in Europe with ERASMUS as the largest scheme of temporary mobility. ERASMUS was a trigger for a qualitative leap of internationalisation strategies and policies since the 1990s: towards cooperation and mobility on equal terms, and towards systematic and strategic internationalisation. The ‘Bologna Process’ aimed to make higher education more attractive to students from other parts of the world and to facilitate intra-European mobility; however, many other activities are needed to stimulate mobility, and the Bologna Process pursues many other objectives. It remains to be seen whether supra-national and national policies and institutional strategies will continue to opt for wide-ranging cooperation based on mutual trust or whether the ‘competition paradigm’ will determine the scene.     

Effect on students from attending a university degree programme run in partnership with further and higher education institutions

This paper considers the effect on students from attending a university foundation degree programme delivered in partnership with six further education teaching institutions in England. The programme is situated within the early childhood education sector using an instructional design which promotes higher-level learning within the teaching institution and the workplace. Learning in one environment is aligned to the other. The research process actively involved students and was conducted within ethical parameters approved by a university ethics committee. A qualitative methodology examined data drawn from focus groups, an online survey and content analysis. Programme effect was seen as enhancing personal and professional capability and promoting higher-order learning. The findings go some way towards theorisation and documentation of programme effect by identifying the influence of instructional design and extend knowledge about aligning the pace of teaching and learning with professional practice.     

新世纪的高校发展战略规划

进入新世纪 ,许多高等学校把制订发展战略作为促进学校跨越式发展的大事来抓。如何结合我国经济社会发展的需要和学校发展的实际 ,制订面向未来 ,对学校发展具有长远指导意义的战略发展规划 ,是我们必须加以认真研究的课题     

教学设计研究中的常人方法学取向

文章分析教学设计研究存在的问题,运用常人方法学的原理对教学设计的问题进行阐释,揭示了教学设计研究中的"常人"取向与"现象"取向,指出常人方法学为教学设计的研究提供一个新的研究与反思的视角。     

Classifying higher education institutions in Korea: a performance-based approach

The purpose of this study was to classify higher education institutions according to institutional performance rather than predetermined benchmarks. Institutional performance was defined as research performance and classified using Hierarchical Cluster Analysis, a statistical method that classifies objects according to specified classification factors. In the analysis, 47 Korean universities with doctoral programs were classified as research universities (seven universities), research active universities (14 universities), and doctoral universities (26 universities). In the detailed discussions, profiles of each group were analyzed and discussed; and, disciplinary classifications were conducted in engineering, natural science, and social science and humanities. In addition, to validate the classifications, the research performances of these categories were compared with those of U.S. peers. In the comparisons, the research performance of Korean universities was similar to that of U.S. peers. From the analysis, the classification results emerging from the performance-based approach were shown to be equivalent to that of conventional classifications using predetermined benchmarks.

高职院校实施应用型学士学位授予制度的思考

高职院校是我国高等教育的重要组成部分,经过多年的建设与发展,其办学条件逐步改善,办学质量不断提高,社会声誉不断扩大,已经具备了开展学士学位授予工作的条件。借鉴世界上发达国家和地区的经验,在部分高职院校实施应用型学士学位授予工作的试点,对于我国经济由劳动密集型向技术密集型转变,加快国民经济结构调整等具有重要意义。     

Evaluating initial teacher education programmes: Perspectives from the Republic of Ireland

Research studies in teacher education have focussed on the outcomes of preparatory programmes. Less attention has been paid to the processes through which professional learning is acquired. This article argues that the study of attitudes and persuasion is very important in teacher education. The elaboration likelihood model (ELM) of persuasion provides an integrative framework to analyze empirical evidence from a five-year study, conducted in the Republic of Ireland, which presents findings from an in-depth survey of 2348 respondents. This model highlights many salient issues that teacher educators should consider when engaged in programme development, delivery and evaluation.     

Patterns in the prevalence of research-related goals in higher education programmes

Integration of research into teaching is considered a desirable characteristic of higher education, and valuable for student learning. Nevertheless, not much is known about the prevalence of research integration in students' everyday experiences within higher education. This article reports on an empirical study on the prevalence of six research-related goals in 45 educational programmes in Flanders. The study aimed at identifying the patterns in the prevalence of these goals at programme level. For each programme, a profile was identified. A cluster analysis revealed three different patterns: a low-attention pattern (N=21), a results pattern (N=16) and a critical-thinking pattern (N=8). The prevalence of the patterns in the programmes included in the sample differs between distinct types of programmes, but not between disciplines.     

The idea of quality in higher education: a conceptual approach

The paper suggests that the idea of quality in higher education is ideologically constructed and conducted. In a spiral of mutual reinforcements, quality regimes naturalise experience, while the theories of that practice legitimise the naturalness of ‘quality’. I shall suggest that quality regimes provide too narrow readings of higher education. The central concepts, which I propose to use – discourse and power – emphasise the connectedness of ideology and quality in higher education. In particular, I suggest that the ideological character of the idea of quality in higher education is evident in discourses – which themselves are interlinked in networks. These discourses and networks are backed up by power and this helps to sustain their ideological character. Thus, this paper attempts two things: to outline a conceptual framework concerning the ideological character of the idea of quality in higher education and to draw attention to the organisation of that ideological formation.