“Dancing in a cage”: Changing autonomy in Chinese higher education

In China, the central government has released a series of key policy initiatives over the last twenty years to foster decentralisation of control over higher education, giving prominence to discourses of increased autonomy for both universities and academics. This article reports findings of an empirical study of changing autonomy in Chinese higher education and it focuses on the effects of these key policy developments in two case study universities. This research was part of a larger study of new power relationships emerging from changing policies on accountability and autonomy in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Singapore, located within a broader context of the impact of globalisation on higher education. The focus on the three regions was selected to begin to redress a Western hegemony in such research. The larger study is premised on the principle that globalisation is characterised by ongoing tensions between global commonalities and context-specific differences, and that it is important not to gloss over the complex and often contradictory national and local mediations of “global” policy trends.     

项目教学法在高职旅游专业教学中的应用

文章从项目教学法的内涵与特征入手,指出我国旅游专业高等职业技术教育中应大力推行项目教学法,以学生为核心,以能力为导向进行教学方法改革。提出了在高职旅游专业教学中应用项目教学法的实施环节与具体策略,通过改变教学要求、改革课程模式、改进考核方式,以及立体式教材的编制和师资队伍的优化,在传授学生理论知识和操作技能的同时,有效地培养其综合职业能力,使学生在主动构建知识体系的同时提高综合职业素质。     

项目教学法在高职教学中的应用研究

项目教学法属于新型的教学理念,通过师生之间相互实施一个相对完整的项目工作从而进行的教育教学活动。高职教育是培养生产与建设一线上的实用性人才,因此,项目教学法对于高职教育有重大意义。本文针对项目教学法的优势和要求,探讨了在高职教学中的具体实施方法。     

高职餐饮课程实施项目教学的研究与实践

项目教学法是师生通过共同实施一个完整的＂项目＂工作而进行的教学活动。通过项目教学法在高职酒店岗位能力课程＂餐饮服务与管理＂教学中实践,对实施项目教学法的可行性、具体实施、考核评价、实施效果、须进一步探索的问题等进行了分析。     

高等职业教育运用现代信息技术实施教学、教务管理的研究与实践

随着高等职业技术教育的快速发展和办学规模的不断扩大,各项管理工作也日益繁重,其中教学、教务是高职学院管理工作的核心。因而建设具有可扩充性、可重用性、可靠性和可维护性的教学管理系统迫在眉睫。文章在分析高职学院教学管理系统的现状和存在问题的基础上,通过软件工程的方法进行教学管理的工作流程和系统需求分析,并对系统的具体设计逻辑进行分析与规划。     

The role of academic management in implementing technology-enhanced learning in higher education

ABSTRACT

This article addresses how technology-enhanced learning (TEL) is implemented in higher education institutions. The study is based on data collected from a nationwide survey and semi-structured interviews with academic managers. The findings suggest that: (1) members of the academic management staff have limited knowledge of institutional strategies; (2) there is a gap between what academic managers believe they do to support and implement TEL and what other academic staff perceive them to actually do; and (3) TEL is seldom discussed during performance assessment reviews. In addition, the study reveals that academic managers have different understandings of the use of educational technology. Those differences appear to be closely related to the individual managers’ assessment of TEL’s role in supporting teaching.     

Quality management in Hungarian higher education: organisational responses to governmental policy

This article focuses on responses of higher education institutions to governmental policy. We investigate the influence of organisational characteristics on the implementation of quality management in Hungarian higher education institutions. Our theoretical framework is based on organisational theories (resource dependency and neo-institutionalism), Allison’s models on organisational decision-making processes, and also addresses some of the more specific characteristics of higher education institutions. Our empirical investigation shows that organisational characteristics matter in policy implementation of quality management in Hungarian higher education. Certain organisational variables, viz. leaders’ commitment to the implementation process, the involvement of external consultants, institutional reputation, and bureaucratic and political decision-making processes have strong effects on the implementation of quality management. Characteristics particular to higher education institutions were much less influential.

高等职业教育教学管理规范研究

教学管理是管理者通过一定的管理手段,使教学活动达到学校既定的人才培养目标的过程。过程是一个或一系列连续有规律的行动。这些行动是必要的、相对稳定的、对过程发生影响的,因此行动、流程构成了整个过程的基本要素。要素,构成事物必不可少的因素,组成系统的基本单元。从千差万别、处于变动状态的教学管理操作中,抽象出相对稳定的要素与流程,并以此为依据构建教学管理、教学组织、教学文件的体系和系统,便成为具有实际运用价值的开创性研究。     

高职院校实验室开放项目化管理模式的研究

从项目管理的基本特点和职能出发，针对高职院校传统实验室开放管理过程中存在的问题，提出将项目管理模式引入实验室开放管理并分析其可行性，总结了新的管理模式在实验室开放中的实施办法及其初步成效。     

How can simulation help with learning project work skills? Experiences from higher education in Finland

ABSTRACT

Background: Effective project management and project work skills are important requirements in higher education and many other work place settings. Simulation-based learning, with its use of simulated scenarios and environments, may be a helpful way of supporting skill development. However, much more needs to be understood about the possibilities and challenges that can be involved in the application of this method of learning and teaching, from the perspectives of the learners.

Purpose: This exploratory qualitative study sought to describe university lecturers’ experiences and views of simulation as a method of learning and teaching project skills. The simulation method was tested in Finland, in the context of the national Research and Development Expert Coaching Programme, which was developed for the staff of the Universities of Applied Sciences.

Research methods: Data were collected via a questionnaire with two open questions, to which total of 12 multi-professional participants, all lecturers from Universities of Applied Sciences, were asked to respond in essay form. The data was analysed using inductive content analysis.

Results: Overall, our analysis suggests that participants felt that simulation-based learning was suitable for learning project work. According to the participants, the method helped them learn concrete project work skills, identify and manage challenging situations and promote dialogical sharing between professionals.

Conclusion: The results indicate that simulation can be used to promote project work competence of both new and more experienced project workers in various fields. It is suggested that the method is suitable for both initial and continuing education.     

Stability,performance and innovation orientation of a higher education funding model in Kazakhstan

This article is situated in a growing body of literature, focusing on higher education reforms in countries which emerged, or re-emerged, 25 years ago as the Soviet Union dissolved. With the focus specifically on Kazakhstan, this paper examines how the leadership of universities in this country views a higher education funding model– the state grants. The paper applies the lenses of stability, performance and innovation orientation to the examination of the state grants-based higher education funding model in Kazakhstan. This paper finds that despite recognition of the limitations of the existing funding model, there is limited interest to push for changes. This can be explained by the complex higher education policy environment which is also discussed in this paper.     

Arbiters of effectiveness and efficiency: the frames and strategies of management consulting firms in US higher education reform

A growing number of public colleges and universities in the United States have hired management consulting firms to help develop strategies aimed at increasing institutional effectiveness and efficiency. The purpose of this paper is to explore the frames and strategies of consultants in US public higher education reform efforts. Drawing upon a range of documentary evidence, the paper examines four consulting firms (Accenture, Bain & Company, Deloitte and McKinsey & Company) and their perspectives on higher education reform. The paper analyses the consultative process with two public universities and two state higher education systems to determine possible avenues by which consultants exert influence. Through reference to theory on academic capitalism and new institutionalism, the paper reveals the ways in which consultants circulate crisis narratives and diffuse private sector management ideas among public colleges and universities that are seeking both financial solvency and legitimacy.     

Designing,implementing and maintaining a first year project course in electrical engineering

Being a modern electrical engineer does not only require state of the art skills in areas such as transfer and processing of information, electronics, systems engineering, and biomedical electrical engineering; it also requires generic engineering skills such as oral and written communication, team building, interpersonal skills, and the ability to take the responsibility of solving assigned tasks. In the development of a new electrical engineering curriculum, it was considered a challenge to introduce these generic engineering skills in a more applicable way. The approach described in this paper has been very successful in implementing and maintaining a challenging first year project based engineering course with a high level of training of generic engineering skills.     

项目化教学在高职管理学课程的运用——以国际贸易专业《管理学》教学为例

本文试图打破以往的传统教学模式,通过在管理学教学过程当中引入项目化教学法,深入分析项目教学在管理学课程当中的实施过程与效果,充分提高学生的实践能力和创新能力。     

高职音乐教育专业课程改革探析——以马鞍山师范高等专科学校为例

我国高职高专院校现行的音乐教育专业课程框架已远远不能适应社会发展的需要。面对大多数院校普遍存在的"专业性"高于"师范性";民族音乐课程体系不够全面;多元文化音乐的缺乏;"双证课程"的极度匮乏和对学生的实践;群集职业能力重视不够的现状,本文以我校音乐教育专业课程改革实践为例,针对以上现状进行了探析,并建构了较为科学的课程体系。     

Fostering self-efficacy and self-regulation in higher education: a matter of autonomy support or academic motivation?

ABSTRACT

By implementing student-centred learning environments, higher education institutions aim to foster student self-efficacy and self-regulation. Previous research that focuses on how students perceive these learning environments usually does not take the differential impact of students’ study motivation into account. However, the type of motivation might influence how students perceive their learning environment. To this end, this study investigates the relationship between students’ perceived autonomy support in student-centred learning environments and self-regulation and self-efficacy by taking study motivation into account. The results indicate that autonomy-supportive teacher behaviour enhances self-efficacy for students who are autonomously motivated. Amotivated students might need other than autonomy-supportive teacher behaviour to develop self-efficacy. Self-regulation seems to play a less distinct role. Overall, when examining the effects of autonomy-supportive teaching in higher education, the quality and quantity of students’ motivation has a role to play, an aspect which is important to consider in future research and practice.     

The generic competences: an opportunity for ethical learning in the European convergence in higher education

The objective of the European Higher Education Area is, among others, to adopt a comparable degree framework for both undergraduate and post-graduate studies. Different kind of studies, with a European extent (e.g. the Tuning Project and the DeSeCo Project), suggest that, on finishing their undergraduate studies, students should have acquired a series of general competences common to all courses. In this article, our hypothesis for discussion is that the acquisition of general competences, especially the interpersonal and systemic ones, is closely related to the objectives of ethical learning: the training of professionals and citizens who build their knowledge independently and act responsibly, freely and in a committed manner. This paper is a part of the Research Project HUM2004-06633-CO2-01/FISO, financed by Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia y Fondos FEDER, and is included in the R + D + I Group 03/179, of the Generalidad Valenciana.     

Time to participate: Lessons from the literature for learning and teaching project evaluation in higher education

Evaluation plays an increasingly important role in the quality-driven context of higher education. Projects that focus on learning and teaching often have evaluation expected of them, however, there is little evidence on the effectiveness of approaches nor the extent to which the praxis of evaluation is achieved. To illustrate this phenomenon, project funding and evaluation expectations are reviewed and the resulting analysis of the literature identifies eight emergent themes. Two overarching factors that unite these themes are time (or lack of it) and participation, leading to six issues for evaluation practice. Alignment of evaluation theory with practice requires focused attention if the maximum benefits of evaluation for the project processes are to be achieved.     

An exploration of the viability of partnership between dar al-ulum and higher education institutions in North West England focusing upon pedagogy and relevance

The article explores possibilities of collaboration between Muslim providers of traditional education (dar al-ulums) and HE/FE institutions in close geographical proximity in the North West England. It reports the outcomes of a project carried out in 2011/2012 influenced by the findings of the Makadam/Scott-Baumann report in 2010, in which it was stated that cross fertilisation of pedagogical methodologies in the dar al-ulums is already achieving a unique synthesis drawing upon skills of memory and cognition. The project had a dual intention to (1) see through to completion a partnership in which a BA in Islamic Education would be created for advanced dar al-ulum students and (2) to focus on the relevance and pedagogical styles of the dars-i nizami curriculum taught in the dar al-ulums and therefore add to scholarly and political debates on the madrasa/dar al-ulum education which has already generated a body of literature. The paper will focus on the latter.     

Access and equity programme provision-evaluation in Australian higher education: a what matters approach

This article draws on findings from a national review of the evaluation of access and equity initiatives across Australian higher education to argue that utilising responsive mixed methods focused on the values of participants enables crucial understanding of what matters to the people involved. Based on the evidence collected, a “what matters” conceptual guide is provided to assist with programme design and evaluation. The approach enables identification of the multiple complex variables involved in generating programme outcomes that matter to the groups they are intended for. Provision and evaluation processes must be iteratively connected so that they are responsive to changing contexts and needs over time. Key concepts from critical realism and complexity theory are applied to highlight that context, complexity, and temporality are critical elements to incorporate into approaches to provision-evaluation. The “what matters” guide is designed to enable programmes that are accessible, engaging, and valuable to all participants.