Re-evaluating online oral examinations

[...]a large number of lecturers called in sick or declared that they were unable to attend for health and safety reasons. The transition required the following steps: prompt communication with the students about the new modus operandi;staff training on the use of Teams;setting up of Teams exam meetings;evaluation and re-design of the exam content. Another clear benefit of Teams meetings is the centrally stored video recordings for all examinations, which can be used for quality assurance purposes, that is, checking by external examiners, in potential student appeals or academic misconduct investigations. Unstable or poor Internet connection;2. student camera turned off;3. hardware issues with the camera or microphone;4. background noise and echo;5. poor student or examiner information technology (IT) skills.

Student perspectives on the challenges of an online orientation at a large South African university during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic that began in March 2020 gave rise to a number of challenges for first-year experience activities at universities globally. One of the key challenges was the process of onboarding first-year students through an orientation programme that could not take place face-to-face as per the norm. In 2021, the first-year orientation at a large South African university in this study moved to an online platform, becoming a week-long programme conducted on Microsoft Teams and comprising a variety of live and pre-recorded videos. The programme included seven core learning sessions designed to introduce the students to key services available at the university and to lay the foundation for student success. Using data from the university's 2021 Orientation Week (O-Week) Survey, this paper seeks to explore - from the perspective of the students - the core challenges associated with an online orientation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study employs descriptive statistics to decipher the profile of the survey respondents as well as participants' experience of various learning sessions. A thematic approach was used to analyse the open-ended questions to provide the contextual perspectives on the challenges that students experienced with online orientation. The study identified five categories of challenges, which had a negative impact on their process of transitioning into the university environment. The study's findings will help universities to understand the drawbacks of online orientation as well as provide empirical guidance for them as to how they could leverage online orientation for student success in shaping the remote, blended, and hybrid learning discourse. The particular university under discussion subsequently used these findings as guidelines to conceptualise a new three-week blended orientation programme, Gateway to Success, which was introduced at the beginning of 2022.

Students' sense of belonging at a South African university during COVID-19

The research on students' sense of belonging in higher education has evolved into a prominent theme worldwide. Institutional research focuses on the institution understanding itself and helps leaders to rethink improvement initiatives. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has required of institutions to revise student support programmes and approaches to maintain a strong sense of belonging. The theories of belonging by Strayhorn (2012) and Dumford et al. (2019) were adopted to analyse student responses. The aim of the study was to understand students' sense of belonging and how the university responded to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure a strong sense of belonging. Data were generated through in-depth interviews with 45 undergraduate students from all seven faculties. The findings highlight notable prevention measures intended to limit the spread of the virus on campus and student support in the form of study devices and data. The post-lockdown changes included a return to face-to-face mental health support, drafting COVID-19 catchup plans for first year orientation of 2020 and 2021 cohorts, improving the student voice. Finally, notable principles for responding to a future higher education crisis are highlighted. These initiatives contributed towards establishing and maintaining a strong students' sense of belonging.

Creating Co-Curricular Activist Writing Projects for Students in Writing Programs: The Case of the Neurodiversity Celebration Collaborative (NCC)

Context The NCC originally came into being through calls from various corners for more attention to the unmet mental health needs of college students and students with autism (Beiter et al.;Bruffaerts et al.;Lipson et al.;PinderAmake;Storrie et al.) as well as calls from disability activists for more space to support, highlight, and celebrate disabled and neurodiverse persons and the rich diversity they bring to our campuses (Dwyer et al.;Clouder et al.;Sachs;Yergeau). Through strategic research and advocacy, we will evaluate current mental health resources on and off campus, create appreciation versus sympathy for cognitive differences, bring to light inconsistencies and inaccuracies in the literature, establish appropriate forums of disclosure for students, and ultimately help constitute a more connected and understanding campus climate that celebrates neurodiversity as an integral part of any functioning university and its surrounding community. [...]most recently during the 2021-2022 academic year, the group held an event in which they discussed the concept of neurodiversity itself with a wider audience. Establishing student leaders is a crucial step in moving the faculty member out of the leadership role and making it clear to students that they have agency and the final say in how things will go.

Course Design: WELL 2100: Writing for Wellness

[...]the course supports writing growth through rhetorical practices, a process approach, and authentic audiences, while also asking students to explore and experiment with writing practices to improve their individual wellness. Under the leadership of Chancellor Rebecca Chopp (2014-2019), DU launched a new strategic plan in 2016-IMPACT 2025-which included enhanced attention to global and collaborative learning, community-engaged and cross-disciplinary work, and several capital projects to foster economic growth and neighborhood engagement. Following a two-year process of planning and development by faculty, staff, and administrators from across campus, the University launched this "4D Experience" to support students in four dimensions: advancing intellectual growth, exploring character, pursuing careers and lives of purpose, and cultivating well-being (Hernandez). In this way, the course fits within both the UWP model of writing and the University's minor in wellness that "weaves together many different disciplines, curricula, and facets of experience to promote conscious growth and dynamic balance in life" ("Wellness Minor" 185). [...]after its initial offering through the UWP (as WRIT 2701), the writing course is now officially homed in the wellness minor (as WELL 2100) and cross-listed in the applied writing category of the writing minor.

A relational model of university's identity and architectural design pre- and post-pandemic

PurposeThe present research aims to explore the relationship between the university's new identity and its architectural design, and to investigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on this model. It also aims to analyze the declared identity of the new Egyptian universities.Design/methodology/approachTo formulate the hypothesis of the relational model, the research started with the literature related to physical and nonphysical variables of university's identity (organizational and visual identity) and the impact of the pandemic on its identity. Secondly, an online questionnaire targeting academic leaders was conducted to identify the relative importance of the selected variables of university's identity pre- and post-pandemic. Thirdly, a content analysis of the new Egyptian universities' identity was used to track the correlation between the selected variables based on information accessible on universities' websites. Finally, the results of the content analysis and the questionnaire were compared to test the hypothesis.FindingsThe study reveals the most important physical variable of university's new identity pre- and post-pandemic is technological infrastructure and flexible design, while the least important is university's unique design. The results highlight that the universities need to revisit the declared identity to reflect the new challenges posed by COVID-19.Originality/valueThis study is considered one of the first researches that links the physical and nonphysical variables of university's new identity. The current study contributes to analyzing the impact of COVID-19 on university identity and architecture.

Investigating Awareness and Usage of Electronic Information Resources by the Engineering Students of NMIMS (Deemed to be University), Mumbai

During Covid-19 restrictions, electronic information resources have become a prominent source in the library. Most of the university academic activities heavily depend on electronic resources because they are easy to share, refer and communicate to the audience. This study investigates the awareness and usage of electronic information resources subscribed to by the university library. The well-designed online questionnaire helps to collect data from Undergraduate, Postgraduate, and Integrated engineering programs. A total of 232 filled questionnaires were received for the study. The data analysis shows that 91.38 % of the respondents know that electronic resources are available in the library, and the internet speed (56.90 %) is a significant hindrance in using resources. The detailed analysis of this study was discussed, and suggestions were also given to improve the awareness and usage of electronic information resources.

Effective Dreaming in the Time of Zoom Theatre: Reflections on Directing The Lathe of Heaven

Using the production of Natsu Onoda Power's adaptation of The Lathe of Heaven that I helmed at Brandeis University in the spring of 2021 as a case study, I sharpen particular focus on how engaging the project with openness, curiosity, and generosity compelled me to rethink many of my artistic habits and assumptions and reconsider how I view my role as a theatre-maker in higher education. Even as my colleagues and I had come to recognize the ways that modes like "Zoom theatre" had, in a very short time, become crucial instruments "for theatrical institutions to make performances they [could] sell, as a way to keep themselves, their staffs, and their performers alive during the pandemic," there were brewing concerns about what engaging with these technologies might mean for the future of the profession, our approaches to theatre education and pedagogy, and the vitality and viability of the art form (184). The havoc that physical distancing and social isolation were wreaking on students' mental health and well-being had already become a source of concern for us. In an essay written for the site's "Devising Our Future" series, which was launched in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis and the global protests against anti-Black racism and police violence spurred by the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, projection designer and director Jared Mezzocchi made a passionate case for theatre-makers to welcome the opportunities that working in new digital and virtual modes afforded them to experiment with different aesthetic strategies and practices.

Comparing the Experience of Pre-Service Teachers in the First and Final Semesters in Online Learning Using a Focus Group Study

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, online learning has become the innovation and an alternative virtual education adopted by universities, due to campus closures. The sudden adoption of the innovation without prior preparation and training causes the ineffective implementation of online learning in most institutions. Based on this description, insufficient information is available regarding the experiences of the student population, which are the most affected by online learning in higher education. Therefore, this study aims to explore the experiences of pre-service teachers regarding their numerous abilities to provide a good online learning program. Using a qualitative focus group study design, data were obtained through the focus group discussion (FGD) on 58 and 52 teachers, which were divided into 10 study groups during the first and final semesters. The results showed that both groups had similar and different experiences, regarding lecturers' ability to effectively perform online learning. According to the experience of the participants, the lecturers with pedagogical and social-personal skills were able to emphasize and encourage the attractiveness of online learning. In addition, some of the differences highly depended on the specific indicators of the two aspects. These results are expected to provide a framework for university lecturers and administrators, towards implementing the learning process.

Written/Unwritten. Diversity and the Hidden Truths of Tenure ed. by Patricia Matthew (review)

The University of Michigan denied tenure to four marginalized faculty members in 2007 and while wrestling with her own tenure challenges, Patricia Matthew brings these stories together. In many ways, these persons are marginalized from the intellectual community that graduate school fosters. [...]they are effectively rendered invisible to the campus community at large. The stigma attached to them, complicated by a healthy level of historical skepticism of social workers and mental health clinicians, may prevent scholars who struggle with anxiety and depression, for example, from availing themselves of any wellness resources and counseling services available to them on campus. In the age of COVID-19, the long-term effects of the disease for those who have survived it are yet to be fully understood and the impacts of the collective trauma are likely exacerbating for those who are already struggling with isolating physical conditions and mental health challenges.

Decolonizing Time, Knowledge, and Disability on the Tenure Clock

We consider the tenure clock's enmeshment in the neoliberal academy's settler colonial and ableist modes of organizing labor and valuing knowledge, modes in turn informed by heteropatriarchal spatiotemporal logics. The tenure clock in the settler academy relies on labor performed by those positioned outside of its time—such as those in temporary or semi-temporary positions, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students. Our motivation in tracing these logics and formulating feminist strategies to undo them stems directly from observing "faculty with disabilities" at our university struggling against the tenure clock;as well as seemingly abled women faculty, faculty of color, and contingent faculty, who have strained against the academic clock and ended up debilitated in the process. We articulate ways in which more collaborative understandings of university culture and knowledge production might serve to challenge the peculiar temporalities produced by the tenure clock. Listening and learning at the intersections of feminist, Indigenous, and disability studies scholarship teaches us to work toward imagining a different approach to tenure, and from there, the way to a different academy.

The Effects of Motivation, Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy, and Self-Regulation on Learning Engagement of Junior College Students

This study examined three influential factors of junior college students' learning engagement: (a) intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, (b) career decision-making self-efficacy (CDMSE), and (c) self-regulation. Participants included 206 students enrolled in the secretarial administration program in a junior college in South Korea. The primary research findings are as follows. First, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation positively influenced CDMSE. Intrinsic motivation influenced learning engagement through CDMSE and self-regulation;extrinsic motivation did not. Second, CDMSE influenced self-regulation and indirectly influenced learning engagement through self-regulation. Third, self-regulation had the largest effect on learning engagement. The findings highlight the need to examine and enhance students' self-regulation skills and help improve the learning engagement of junior college students. This study confirmed the significance of motivation, CDMSE, and self-regulation for junior college students' learning engagement.

Assessing Impact of Study Abroad on Graduation Rates of Underrepresented Students

EXPANDING INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION Fueled by globalization, technological advances, and more accessible travel, the role of international education on college and university campuses has had a period of immense growth. According to the Institute of International Education's 2019 Open Doors report, just over 340,000 US students participated in a study abroad program for credit during the 2017–2018 academic year. [...]there is interest among administrators, scholars, instructors, and policymakers to better understand the effects of study abroad on student learning and outcomes. Data Analysis An initial descriptive analysis yielded the means and standard deviations for each matching variable of interest, as well as the zero-order correlation between all matching criteria and the independent variable (see Appendix).

Challenges Faced by Multi-Campus Institutions with Online Teaching during the COVID-19 Lockdown

In December 2019, the COVID-19 virus was first detected in Wuhan, Hebei Province, China. On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organisation declared the COVID-19 virus a world pandemic. Even though the physical closure of tertiary institutions had proven to be an effective strategy in breaking the transmission chain in the pandemic, the closure still had various negative effects on students' academic endeavours. In an attempt to keep the disruption of studies to a minimum, higher education institutions across the world implemented online learning programmes by converting face-to-face programmes, thereby creating various challenges for students and lecturers on different levels. The purpose of this article was to determine how challenges faced by multi-campus universities in South Africa during this time would compare to challenges faced by other countries. This study focused on two specific multi-campus universities in South Africa with similar student bodies that offered various accounting courses on different campuses. These courses ranged from diplomas to CTA degrees.

Research on a Sustainable Teaching Model Based on the OBE Concept and the TSEM Framework

This paper reports the results of a study on the implementation of a sustainable teaching model based on the OBE (Outcome-Based Education) concept and the TSEM (Teach, Study, Evaluate, and Manage) framework in computer science and technology at NingboTech University, China. In the context of digital education, the OBE concept and the TSEM framework are integrated to explore sustainable teaching and learning models based on "artificial intelligence and education”. Based on the core concept of engineering professional education accreditation, the course is designed by using the PCCM (Professional Competency Correlation Matrix) method to build a model based on big data analysis, deepen the classroom teaching reform of "artificial intelligence and education”, and explore the integrated digital sustainable teaching mode of "teaching, learning, evaluation, and management”. The aim of this study is to explore the effectiveness of the teaching model based on OBE and the TSEM framework on students' sustainable development. The results show that students deepen their learning in computer science while enhancing their own learning initiative, teamwork skills, innovation skills, and awareness of sustainable development. Research shows that our teaching model plays an important role in the development of student sustainable education, enhancing student engineering practice and innovation capabilities and cultivating applied innovative talents. The efficacy of the teaching model based on the OBE concept and the TSEM framework for improving students' competence in sustainable education warrants further investigation.

Improving Sustainability of Learning Outcomes: An Empirical Study of Medical Students' Autonomous Learning

Achieving sustainable learning outcomes for medical students requires the assessment of their engagement in autonomous learning, and the development of sustainable autonomous learning skills. This study examined the relationship among autonomous learning, academic support, school satisfaction, and learning outcomes. It used structural equation modeling to analyze data from 725 medical students studying at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan. The findings showed that autonomous learning was positively related to academic support, school satisfaction, and learning outcomes. Furthermore, both school satisfaction and learning outcomes were positively correlated with academic support. Similarly, school satisfaction was positively correlated with learning outcomes. Academic support and school satisfaction mediated and serially mediated the relationship between autonomous learning and learning outcomes, respectively. Additionally, autonomous learning had positive direct and indirect effects on learning outcomes through the serial mediation of academic support and school satisfaction. The serial mediating effects of academic support and school satisfaction were significant. Thus, autonomous learning was considered to be an important aspect of sustainable learning outcomes;educational administrators could systematically encourage students' autonomous learning to increase their invested time and effort, and help students improve their learning outcomes.

Student Anxiety and Its Impact: A Recent American History

This article traces the rise of anxiety among American high school and college students since the late 1950s, with particular focus on the decades before 2000. Evidence for rates of change comes from anxiety tests administered during the period, as well as a variety of psychological studies. The article also takes up the issue of causation, highlighting the extension of counseling services and psychological vocabulary that affected evaluations of nervousness;the impact of negative developments like crime rates and growing family instability;and the results both of changes in educational patterns—such as more frequent examinations—and significant shifts in student goals and expectations. Finally, the article touches on efforts to mitigate anxiety, such as expanding student services, and also their limited impact.

Developing Young Science and Technology Parks: Recent Findings from Industrial Nations Using the Data-Driven Approach

Science and technology parks (STPs) are curated locations where new technology-based firms (NTBFs) and other SMEs and firms can conglomerate and promote a culture of innovation. Overall, the aim is to construct a sustainable high-value tech entrepreneurship ecosystem, and to this end we present here some recent and novel concepts derived from approaches using a data-driven statistical foundation. This paper considers studies on the organic growth of young start-up science and technology parks by authors who have used big data, econometric analyses, panel data and computer simulations. The results and concepts are derived from industrialized countries, notably Sweden and the UK, and may well be applicable to many regions and emerging economies. The findings are of interest to regional development, technology entrepreneurs considering choosing an STP to inhabit, as well as those in STP central teams, specializing in management and enterprise development, including the sustainable growth of new parks.

Medical Students' Participation in Social Studying and Learning during COVID-19

COVID-19 transformed the medical school learning environment. How social studying and learning (SSL) may have changed was considered worthy of exploration. This study describes the effect of the learning environment transformation on how SSL is conducted by medical students and the reasoning behind any changes. A post-positivist stance was adopted with a mixed method convergent-parallel approach. An online survey explored the participation rate and nature of SSL and how these related to literature-identified underpinning factors that influence participation in SSL. A follow-up interview explored the survey responses. A total of 87 survey responses were collected. Following exclusion of incomplete responses, 57 responses were analysed, and nine follow-up interviews were conducted. Cross-tabulation and logistic regression were conducted to analyse the quantitative data and thematic analysis was conducted to analyse the qualitative data. No significant difference was observed in SSL participation rate during COVID-19. Students transitioned from in-person to Zoom meetings for sensibility, ease and convenience. Students continued participating in SSL for motivation and began participating for accountability, focus and replacement of lost social interaction. The same content was studied using a wider range of activities. Significant decreases were observed in students' perception of the effect of a range of factors. The observed changes to SSL during online learning suggest that SSL is integral for many medical students and will be adapted as required. Given that medical school will always involve some periods of online learning, understanding of the nature of and driving factors behind how medical students engage in SSL during online learning may enable medical educators to support all aspects of student learning.

Self-Reported Depression and Anxiety among Graduate Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Examining Risk and Protective Factors

Depression and anxiety among students in higher education are well-established public health concerns with rates that have steadily increased over the past several decades. The global COVID-19 pandemic caused a need for rapid transition on campuses to online learning, a disruption of research, and uncertainty about meeting program requirements and employment. Graduate students often feel overlooked at the best of times and the potential for the pandemic to worsen this perception cannot be understated. This study examined the rates of self-reported depressive and anxiety symptoms among graduate students who were located at the national epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States in the spring of 2020. Demographic characteristics, loneliness, and coping to determine potential risk and protective factors were also examined. A comprehensive online survey was created including the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) 3-Item Loneliness Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Scale (PHQ-9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7). Descriptive statistics, Pearson's chi-squared test, Spearman's correlation, and unadjusted and adjusted multivariable logistic ordinal regression models were used to describe the sample and to assess factors associated with depression and anxiety. 341 surveys were analyzed;respondents had a mean age of 31.88, 68% were female, 63% were White, and 23% identified as lesbian/gay/bisexual. Approximately 89% of students reported moderate-severe depression, and 76% moderate-severe anxiety. Risk factors associated with depression (p < 0.05) were being "sometimes' lonely”, "often/always lonely”, and time spent searching COVID-19 information. Emotional support, having children, and perceived emotional/mental health were protective against depression (p < 0.05). Risk factors associated with anxiety were "‘often/always lonely”, identifying as lesbian/gay/bisexual, and time searching COVID-19 information. Coping, having children, being born outside of the U.S., and perceived emotional/mental health were protective against anxiety (p < 0.05). Based on study findings, it is recommended that universities include more focused interventions for graduate students in consideration of their unique personal and professional needs. Graduate students are part of the emerging professional workforce and as such employers are also advised to integrate wellness and mental health programs and interventions into their employee assistance programs.