QUALITY ASSURANCE IN EDUCATION最新文献

Purpose

This study aims to examine the impact of gamification on the five dimensions of meaningful learning (i.e. cooperative, active, authentic, constructive and intentional learning) and undergraduate student performance taking online lessons.

Design/methodology/approach

Therefore, the authors conducted an experiment among undergraduate students taking online classes at the Mechanical and Electrical Engineering School at a public university during the COVID-19 pandemic. The experiment included one control and two observation groups using gamification (Golden Points). Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed.

Findings

Results showed that gamification significantly affects meaningful learning and impacts student performance in online courses.

Originality/value

This study was limited to a single topic in a six-month course at a public university. Additional research is required to continue examining the impact of gamification in higher education institutions with different format courses and in other organisational sectors.

Purpose

Generative artificial intelligence (GAI) has seen exponential growth in recent years due to its capability to generate original content through natural language processing and comprehensive language models. This paper aims to investigate the transformative impact of GAI on higher education, focusing on the evolving roles of faculty in the classroom.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a phenomenological perspective and a process approach, the study involved 25 semi-structured interviews with academicians in higher education.

Findings

The findings reveal that GAI currently creates biased and commercially driven learning environments, challenging traditional pedagogical models. Despite its potential for enhancing education, the autonomous nature of GAI often prioritizes commercial interests over pedagogical goals.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited to faculty perspectives, suggesting future research should include student viewpoints and diverse educational contexts.

Practical implications

The study highlights the need for higher education institutions to develop comprehensive policies, provide training for faculty and students and design new courses that leverage GAI for personalized learning experiences and enhanced faculty research.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the emerging literature on GAI’s impact on education, highlighting its dual nature as both a transformative tool and a potential threat to traditional educational roles and outcomes.

Purpose

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to address significant challenges in education, innovate learning and teaching practices and achieve SDG 4. However, existing literature often overlooks the behavioural aspects of students regarding AI in education, focusing predominantly on technical and pedagogical dimensions. Hence, this study aims to explore the significant relationships among AI literacy, AI usage, learning outcomes and academic performance of generation Z students in the Indian educational context.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used structural equation modelling (SEM) on Gen Z students born in the years 1997–2012 as a sample population for the research in the north Indian states like Punjab, Haryana, Himachal and regions like Chandigarh and N.C.R. Delhi.

Findings

The results established significant positive relationships between AI literacy, AI usage, AI learning outcomes and academic performance. Specifically, higher levels of AI literacy were associated with increased engagement with AI technologies and tools for learning purposes, leading to better learning outcomes and academic performance. The findings demonstrated that AI literacy plays a crucial role in providing effective learning experiences and fostering skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking among Gen Z students.

Research limitations/implications

The implications of the study include the significance of integrating AI education initiatives into curricula, prioritising professional development programmes for educators and making sure that every student has equitable access to AI technologies.

Originality/value

The study introduces a novel perspective by examining variables such as AI literacy, AI usage, AI learning outcomes and academic performance and developing a model that has not been previously studied. It provides a new discourse and proposes a framework uniquely combining AI-infused curriculum design, educator empowerment, robust assessment mechanisms and sustainable practices.

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the stakeholders’ (employers and students) involvement in economics and management programs quality assurance in Italian universities from the external audit perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

The research tests if employers are positively associated with the coherence between program objectives and job prospects, and if student involvement is positively associated with student orientation, tutorship and flexibility for specific types of students (differently abled students and working students). Based on data from the Italian Agency for Quality Assurance (ANVUR) in Italian universities, this study selects a sample of 44 bachelor and master university programs.

Findings

When a program coordinator assures coherence between competencies included in the study plan and job prospect, the employers’ involvement in the plan and management of the program increases and becomes more effective. High-quality services regarding student orientation, tutorship and flexibility for specific types of students increase the students’ involvement in university governance.

Originality/value

Findings contribute to literature extending the stakeholder theory in universities, better specifying how employers and students may play a key role in improving the quality assurance of teaching activities.

Purpose

The emergence of widely available Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools, such as ChatGPT, presents both opportunities and threats for higher education. This study aims to investigate the factors that influence students’ current use of GenAI and students’ perceptions of how GenAI can facilitate learning, as well as informs recommendations for institutional policies related to GenAI.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed-method approach was used. A survey of undergraduate business students was followed by a case study that required students to use GenAI as part of a homework assignment and then reflect on their learning experience.

Findings

Students used GenAI more frequently when they perceived that it helped their learning outcomes and when it was perceived as a social norm. Conversely, the perception that GenAI was cheating reduced its usage. Male (vs female) students used GenAI more frequently. Students preferred institutional policies that allowed the use of GenAI but also set clear boundaries for its use. They reported that the assignment that required the use of GenAI enhanced their learning experience.

Practical implications

Results from the survey and case study imply that institutions should set policies establishing clear boundaries for the use of GenAI while encouraging and training faculty to incorporate GenAI into classroom assignments. Doing so can facilitate student learning and train students on an important technology that prepares them for the workforce.

Originality/value

This study provides insight into students’ usage of GenAI, explores factors that predict its usage, provides policy recommendations for educational institutions and offers a template for incorporating GenAI into classroom assignments.

Purpose

Given continued debates on the potentials of newly emerging artificial intelligence (AI) like generative AI (GenAI), this study aims to contribute to corporal studies by investigating the efficacy of GenAI in improving students writing skills.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed-methods research design with an experimental approach was used to elicit information from 70 undergraduate students studying at a private university. A writing course was designed and used to elicit information from the participants on the efficacy of using ChatGPT in their writing instruction.

Findings

After collecting data through experiments and interviews, the result indicates that although ChatGPT may assist students in providing ideas in writing lessons, it may not improve their overall writing skills.

Originality/value

This study provides empirical evidence limited to the scholarly literature on the role of ChatGPT in improving students’ writing skills. This study adds to scholarly discussions on the potential of ChatGPT which has recently sparked debates in academia.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to understand how faculty members perceive learning needs of the attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) student, as they acclimated to and performed within the higher education settings.

Design/methodology/approach

A phenomenological design was used to explore the faculty perceptions of ADHD college students. A sample of ten faculty members, employed in two-year, four-year, and graduate-level programs, participated in virtual semi-structured interviews. A six step thematic analysis of the codes was performed revealing three themes.

Findings

Results from the study yielded three themes: problem-based learning, time management and accommodations versus privilege. These themes highlight the complexity of the learning process, the limitations with time management, and the need for meaningful, rather than stereotypical, accommodations in these settings.

Practical implications

The number of students diagnosed with ADHD attending postsecondary education continues to rise, necessitating a critical lens on increasing neurodiversity-affirming practices in these settings. Despite noted strengths, students with this diagnosis struggle academically, resulting in academic challenges. To maximize each individual’s learning potential, systems of higher education need to carefully consider how to best design a positive learning environment with universally effective learning accommodations.

Originality/value

While faculty described accommodations and strategies provided to students, they also repeatedly shared concerning challenges and barriers to learning, as demonstrated by their students in various scenarios and situations. Results suggest areas of potential improvement, alongside the complexity of serving the need of the next generation of neurodivergent learners, in a world where equity and inclusion required additional time and thoughtful effort. Of greatest concern, perhaps, was the systems already in place, including offices of accommodations and services, that tended to use a “one-size-fits-all” approach, oversimplifying, rather than serving, student need.