ABSTRACT
During COVID-19 pandemic Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) faced challenges that hinders the business continuity as well as the delivery of teaching programmes. Information Technology has become more important than ever and enabled HEIs to remain functional and operating. However;HEIs used IT as a solution to overcome the risk situation and actions were taken on day-to-day rather than based on effective IT governance that is established. IT governance is one of the key challenges in HEIs that it involves policies and procedures, leadership and infrastructure. Some efficient practices adapted by HEIs during the pandemic. A question still arise whether these practices are sustainable post COVID-19. This chapter will demonstrate a proposed model for Sustainable Information Technology Governance that is developed based on best practices and extensive literature. The proposed model will be useful for HEIs leading to digital transformation and sustainable HEIs performance. The outcome of this chapter will provide insights for leaders in HEIs and IT practitioners to identify a full-fledged model to improve efficiency and HEI performance towards sustainable education. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.
ABSTRACT
Institutions, including higher education institutions (HEIs), may use crises as an opportunity to develop, to transform and to improve their institutional resilience. Indeed, the Covid-19 pandemic proves that a vast majority of HEIs around the world effectively adapted to the circumstances of the pandemic and successfully embarked on remote learning. The analysis of HEIs proves as well that the nearly overnight switch to remote learning was but one aspect of the quiet transformation that HEIs worldwide were subdued to. In this context, this chapter identifies the administrative practices, including talent management, operations management, and above all, the organizational culture. The notion of changed expectations on the part of the faculty and the students is highlighted. The key point that this chapter makes is that the faculty and the art of education, rather than simply teaching, need to be placed first if HEIs are to retain their resilience. © 2023 by Anna Visvizi, Miltiadis D. Lytras and Haifa Jamal Al-Lail.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: Academic institutions, for the most part, discontinued face-to-face classes in favor of adopting and deploying online learning modalities that allowed for immediate participation. The pandemic has hastened the pace of implementation as well as the utilization of and reliance on technology. Artificial intelligence (AI) is important for higher education business continuity. Currently, some institutions are utilizing these resources to strengthen their student recruitment and retention efforts. Others use them to make the classroom more accessible or to construct tailored learning programs. Design/methodology/approach: The rapid spread of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 has compelled many countries to enact stringent measures to halt the virus's spread. The pandemic has hastened the adoption of online teaching and remote work technology. While a combination of online and face-to-face learning is the way of the future, it will necessitate additional resources to support program development and delivery, as well as increased collaboration between IT and subject matter experts. Findings: This successful technological integration, which includes a smooth transition from face-to-face training to digital e-courses, provides a variety of benefits, including money saved on travel expenses. Top technological developments will continue to enhance company innovation and efficiency while also improving service efficiency. The top strategic technology trends for this year fall into three categories: human centricity, location independence, and resilient delivery, and are expected to be significant for the next five to ten years. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) will need to establish a technological ecosystem that is dependable, cloud-based, data-integrated, and learning-focused to compete successfully in this "new normal.” After the epidemic, when classes resume on campus, a hybrid approach to virtual learning is likely to become the new normal. While it is unlikely that campuses would be totally virtual, they will also be unlikely to be entirely physical. Originality/value: A blend of actual and virtual classrooms, as well as online learning, is the long-term solution, and strategic decisions made now will be critical in preparing for a post-pandemic world. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.
ABSTRACT
A micro-credential is a proof of the student's knowledge, skills, and experience that can be used to progress towards a larger credential or degree that focuses on a particular field of study in the shortest amount of time. Micro-credentials are a new area in the education sector that has expanded significantly over recent years and have become a popular idea in the higher education sector. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, micro-credentials are the most recent innovation in online education, gaining traction in public and private universities throughout the world. This has resulted in many universities developing strategies to offer micro-credential-driven courses. Higher education institutions (HEIs) need to validate micro-credentials, but the validation is a long-drawn-out and cumbersome process, so blockchain technology can be used to easily validate the detailed information on each students' micro-credentials. Unfortunately, to date, only scant scholarly research has been conducted on blockchain-based micro-credentialing systems in HEIs. This study provides a detailed overview of the state-of-the-art in the field of managing micro-credentials using blockchain technology. We start by outlining the various requirements that need to be met in a blockchain-based micro-credentialing system. We then use a systematic literature review (SLR) to retrieve relevant studies published between 2016–2022 and compare them to the defined requirements. We also analyse the relevant studies to determine the research gaps. This review will offer insight into micro-credentialing systems that have been proposed for HEIs over recent years.
ABSTRACT
Objective: To evaluate the perception of medical teaching faculty of a public sector medical college in Pakistan and the barriers in e-learning methodologies according to faculty's opinion. Study Design: Analytical Cross-Sectional Study. Setting: Department of Medical Education, Sahiwal Medical College Sahiwal. Study Period: 1st April 2020 to 30th April 2020. Material & Methods: The questionnaire was sent to all the faculty members through Whatsapp due to COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan. Mean scores were calculated by using SPSS-26. Results: A total of sixty six faculty members responded to the questionnaire while it was sent to all 72. So the response rate of our study is 91.66%. According to our results, external sources barrier questions were found to be of highest mean value of 10.64 with standard deviation of 4.64. Internal source barriers were found to have least of the means value of 5.39 with standard deviation of 2.41. Motivation related to e-learning was with highest mean score of 2.67 and with standard deviation of 0.591. Lack of central policy was found to be of major concern by the respondents with mean value of 1.15 and standard deviation of 0.361. Conclusion: This study found that motivation towards e-learning as the most dominant factor. Also external sources barriers were predominately revealed in the college such arrangements are required to speedily guarantee that fast web get to and dependable systems are accessible at the higher education institutions. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Professional Medical Journal is the property of Professional Medical Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
ABSTRACT
Purpose Higher education institutions (HEIs) can better know how to act when COVID-19 pandemic further evolves, by learning how other higher education institutions handle this pandemic. Facing global pandemic outbreak, what prevention planning modes for crisis management were taken by HEIs? Did they take the reactive and short-term emergency planning or a proactive planning mode? This study aims to systematically review the anti-COVID-19 plans of colleges and universities in Taiwan to identify a planning gap and provide a comprehensive campus anti-pandemic framework for future reference. Design/methodology/approach The documentary analysis was adopted to study the anti-COVID-19 plans of colleges and universities in Taiwan. The samples include 160 colleges and universities. Variety forms of documents were collected for systematic evaluation in this study, including institutional information on the COVID-19 websites (Chinese/ English), and their anti-COVID-19 plans. Findings/results (1)98% of the samples set up anti-COVID-19 websites for communicating with internal and external stakeholders. 34% of HEIs publicized their presidential letters, releasing peak time being in February and March, 2020. Only 25% of the samples issued their anti-COVID-19 meeting minutes, and only 17.5% of them issued both Chinese and English versions. The websites showed that internal and external communication decreased as the pandemic got eased. (2)Regardless of their institutional characteristics and size, all the anti-COVID-19 plans followed the same roadmaps issued by the Central Epidemic Control Center (CECC) and by the Ministry of Education. The common version of planning mode, only 2 main categories and 5 types of planning, was identified. Despite of the differences in the length of the plans, not many differences existed among institutions. (3)The anti-COVID-19 plans remained incomplete since they all had ‘emergency plan’ (EP) and most of them also had ‘academic continuity planning’ (ACP), but a planning gap showed up in ‘business continuity management’ (BCM). (4)Insufficient data collection for the anti-COVID-19 plans constituted a problem. The risk assessment was made on school gathering, student societies, and admission affairs but not comprehensively on the core affairs at the institutional level, teaching, research, and services, and followed by planning institutional risk management for anti-COVID-19 plan. Based on the findings, this study argues that anti-COVID-19 prevention planning mode tends to be reactive rather than proactive because the frequency of communication and discussion within institutions declined as COVID-19 eased, and regardless of institutional characteristics and size, the presence of the ‘common version’ of anti-COVID-19 plans and lack of risk assessment and crisis management planning remain unchanged, especially the lack in the sector of ‘business continuity management’ (BCM). When HEIs do not conduct risk assessment of the core activities (institutional, teaching and learning, research, and services) caused by the COVID-19, the planning mindset of the risk management taken by HEIs and its justification will be weakened. Since this study collected the published information from institutional websites for documentary analysis, the findings must be limited by the extent of how HEIs revealed their anti-COVID-19 measures. It implies that the planning mode revealed in the anti-COVID-19 websites and plans might represent part of, instead of the whole, institutional responses. Therefore, the interpretation of the findings drawn from institutional open data should pay attention to data limitation and to avoid overgeneralization. Originality/value This is the first empirical study to systematically review the anti-COVID-19 plans of 160 colleges and universities in Taiwan. Based on the empirical data, the ‘common version’ of planning mode reveals a reactive rather than a proactive mode, to global pandemic outbreak. Thus, this study proposes a comprehensive campus anti-pandemic framework as re erence for HEIs to go beyond the current emergency reactive model in order to better cope with the future. Suggestions/implications ‘Never let a crisis go to waste’ said Sir Winston Churchill. For higher education institutions, planning for anti-COVID-19 pandemic not only requires a well-thought crisis management, but also using this knowledge to inform and prepare for the likely future pandemic. Pandemic outbreak offers HEIs an opportunity to assess institutional risk assessment and based on it to refine their crisis management. It can strengthen institutional proactive planning mindset to enhance their resilience and agility when dealing with other or similar crisis and unforeseen challenges in the future. © 2022,Contemporary Educational Research Quarterly.All Rights Reserved
ABSTRACT
This article was undertaken to evaluate the responsiveness of academic faculty teaching various courses at higher education institutions (HEIs) to the special learning needs of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Conducted as an exploratory investigation, this article also sought to understand if and whether the awareness of sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic motivated the faculty teaching individuals with intellectual disabilities to revise their teaching-learning approach to make it more effective for such students. Data for addressing these objectives were collected through a qualitative study, which resulted in 38 valid responses from academic faculty teaching at different levels in the United Kingdom. The content of these responses was analyzed to reveal two main themes-academic faculty's experiences in class and HEIs' responsiveness to the learning needs of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Each main theme comprised three subthemes that discussed the practices as they existed and the changes made by faculties in the light of SDGs and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings indicated that while the academic faculty were mindful of introducing pedagogical adjustments to make learning inclusive for individuals with intellectual disabilities, they had not undertaken adjustments in their teaching-learning process to leverage relevant SDGs and counter challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In comparison, the faculty respondents perceived their HEIs to be much more responsive to new opportunities and threats presented by the SDGs and the pandemic.
ABSTRACT
Perhaps the most significant global impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is that it has catalysed accelerated innovation and change across various sectors. Businesses have had to pivot and innovate to survive in the "new normal", medical and health care industries have had to adapt rapidly in order to stay ahead of the growing global health crisis brought on by the pandemic, and governments have had to think out of the box to manage the political, social and economic challenges engendered by Covid-19. Amidst all of this, the Higher Education sector has also been forced to adapt to the challenges of the pandemic. In the South African context, innovation in higher education has focused mostly on teaching and learning, specifically the accelerated shift from traditional face-to-face teaching to the use of online learning platforms. However, what has been neglected is innovation in knowledge production and research. This article explores the role of academic researcher coaching as a support mechanism to enhance innovation and knowledge production through postgraduate academic research. It is argued that academic researcher coaching will become an increasingly valuable tool to provide holistic support to researchers, and that complements the traditional research supervisor role.
ABSTRACT
Purpose Integrating e-learning into higher education institutions (HEIs) is a complex process. Several universities had tried to impart learning online, especially amid the spread of COVID-19. However, they failed miserably due to the many barriers to online learning platforms' delivery and acceptance. This study aims to explore the barriers and facilitators in adopting e-learning in HEIs of Pakistan by taking the perspective of key stakeholders involved in the management and administration of HEIs. Design/methodology/approach The authors recruited participants using purposive and snowball sampling. Interviews were conducted from a variety of participants, including academicians, administrators and information technology (IT) personnel. Data recorded was transcribed into verbatim and then analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings The analysis identified barriers and facilitators to the e-learning implementation. Barriers included lack of resources and training, lack of infrastructure, inadequate e-learning policies, absence of positive mindset among teachers and students and reservations and concerns about e-learning of parents and teachers. By contrast, facilitators included prior training and awareness (provided by HEIs regarding e-learning), the assistance of government and regulatory bodies (in terms of policy and training on e-learning), the role of IT (in development and implementation of online learning system) and good computer knowledge and skills of students and faculty. Moreover, respondents believed that teaching subjects online requires the availability of proper and complete gadgets, but these were hardly available due to high demand. Finally, the academicians and administrators believed that e-learning is indispensable in health emergencies such as COVID-19 and similar events ahead. Originality/value For the HEIs to sustain and grow, the adoption of e-learning is fundamental. Therefore, the government should provide the essential infrastructure for the HEIs to deploy e-learning modules, train faculty and ensure the availability of necessary equipment (e.g. network) and gadgets to faculty and students. From a theoretical perspective, the study provides a framework for similar future studies in other emerging markets, whereas practical implications of the study can assist the governments and HEIs of emerging markets in implementing the e-learning modes of education in times of health emergencies, such as COVID-19.
ABSTRACT
Gender difference in how technology is used has been a long-time concern in education. This study examined the impact of the rapid transition from face-to-face learning to remote learning (RL) for students of selected higher education institutions in South Africa. The study employed a quantitative census sampling method as an electronic questionnaire administered to 243 respondents, mainly students enrolled in accounting and finance department in their second, third, and fourth year of study. In designing the questionnaire, ten items from the Technology Readiness Index (TRI 2.0) were adapted to determine the technology readiness of respondents. Furthermore, descriptive statistics were used to establish the common Information and Communications Technology (ICT) tools, platforms, and teaching approaches adopted by lecturers and estimate the technological readiness of students. This article revealed some challenges encountered by students while schools were closed due to the lockdown measures to contain the COVID-19 virus. From the findings in this study, it can be seen that male students are more likely to adjust faster than female students to RL. This result is consistent with some of the findings in the literature. Learning from home or other environments outside the university has been proven ineffective as students can get easily distracted by external factors that can affect their learning and understanding. This becomes more difficult for female students, especially in Africa, where it is believed that specific responsibilities are for girls. Statistically, there is a high level of anxiety among female students. This can be attributed to the exceptional living conditions and situations during the ongoing pandemic, such as uncertainty of the future, social isolation, challenges of RL, childcare, babysitting, and gender-based violence. The study recommended that policymakers introduce policies that address students' challenges, especially female students while working from home.
ABSTRACT
Purpose>Well-being and employability are considered important indicators of a sustainable career that must be incorporated into the system at the beginning of a job. Hence, it is essential to explore the role of positive personal resources to improve young managers' well-being. The unending ambivalence in the academic environment and the job market is detrimental to management graduates' well-being. The study aims to look into the possible intervening methods to enhance the well-being of management students during difficult times.Design/methodology/approach>A cross-sectional study was conducted among 212 management students from Kerala, India. Multi-stage random sampling was used to collect data. Structural equation modelling using IBM-AMOS was done to gain insights into the proposed relationships.Findings>The results indicated that psychological capital had a significant impact on the well-being of management students. Both perceived employability and psychological capital are positively related to life well-being. And, perceived employability mediated the relationship between psychological capital and life well-being.Research limitations/implications>The theoretical contribution comes from the application of the broaden-and-build theory and resource caravans from the conservation of resource theory as a theoretical framework to understand the positive impact of developing psychological capital among university students. The practical contribution comes from identifying a need for universities to make their campus climate more supportive of the non-academic needs of students by supporting them to become more self-reliant and enhance their positive psychological resources. Developing psychological resources of perceived employability and psychological capital is quintessential to enhance life well-being and career sustainability of early careers talent.Originality/value>This study is one of the first attempts to discern how psychological capital leads to an accumulation of psychological resources and life well-being in university students and graduates offering opportunities for career sustainability.