HIGHER EDUCATION QUARTERLY最新文献

This study, conducted at a fully online Spanish higher education institution, documents the validation of a bespoke quality assessment tool designed to measure the susceptibility of formative assignments to AI academic misconduct. The research explored the impact of Generative AI (GenAI) technologies in the Humanities. The framework study consisted of four stages: the design of a rubric (Stages 1–3) and its large-scale validation (Stage 4) through a field test in the Translation and Interpreting Studies Bachelor's Degree. This paper presents stage 4 results where lecturers (n = 29), using a bottom-up approach, voluntarily applied the tool to their teaching contexts and analysed assignments (n = 151) using the rubric, revealing significant vulnerabilities in assessments easily converted by GenAI or lacking originality and collaboration. The findings guided AI-integrated assessment designs that encourage complexity, creativity, and ethical engagement. This study outlines effective GenAI practices in assessment design and emphasises innovative methods for academic integrity in higher education.

As generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) becomes more integrated into higher education, institutions struggle to communicate clear and effective policies. This multiple-methods study examines survey and interview data collected with 124 undergraduates and seven faculty members from two U.S. R1 universities regarding their perceptions of institutional AI policies, supportive resources and challenges. Students reported that while classroom-level policies are recognised, institutional guidelines remain unclear. Similarly, faculty highlighted the implementation challenges they face due to practical constraints and insufficient training. Additional findings show that students aware of AI policies are less likely to use AI for writing and research; disciplinary and gender differences in institutional resources and policy awareness. Faculty interviews revealed themes such as AI use in research and varied colleague attitudes. Although this study is limited by the number of institutions and sample size, it highlights the need for ongoing research to support policy refinement.

The characteristics of institutional work in higher education change is an understudied topic in research. This article describes an institutional change process in higher education by analysing multilevel institutional work. Drawing on the results, the paper presents a modified process model on the multilevel institutional work and the related micro–macro linkages. The model describes how micro-level strategy work connects with organisational strategy, the macro-level development and policy. Based on the results, the institutional change in higher education is characterised by the interplay between practice work and boundary work in a process, which has special characteristics at different stages. The empirical focus of the study is in the engineering and technology education in Finland. Using a theory-informed, mixed-methods single-case study design, this study explores the characteristics of multilevel institutional work and transformation mechanisms. The results generate theoretical knowledge on the micro–macro linkages of the institutional change process in higher education.

This paper explores from an ethical standpoint how higher education institutions in three different countries (Canada, UK, and USA) have framed their policies containing guidelines in regard to the student usage of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). An inductive thematic analysis of the online GenAI policy sources of 36 universities has revealed the existence of different national patterns with regard to two major moral aspects. Firstly, institutions follow different moral frames to justify their critical or accepting stance towards GenAI, specifically conceptualised in this paper as: (a) moral consistency and (b) responsible futureproofing. Secondly, institutions assign different levels of moral authority to faculty as ultimate decision-makers, identified in the paper as (a) absolute, (b) restrained, and (c) hybrid. Through an international comparative discussion of these findings, the paper wishes to inform current and future policy (re)formations on the topic, as institutional work in the area is currently rapidly unfolding.

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion among students and staff. Yet, they are one of the business sectors with the highest levels of workplace bullying. Bullying can severely impact employee well-being, with sexual minority employees being particularly vulnerable. Building on the Minority Stress Theory, this study examined the role of sexual orientation in the relationships of workplace bullying and cyberbullying victimisation with psychological distress in a sample of 3032 employees across 20 HEIs in Ireland. Results indicated that more frequent workplace bullying and cyberbullying victimisation were associated with higher levels of psychological distress, with LGBQ+ respondents reporting greater distress despite enduring similar levels of victimisation as non-LGBQ+ employees. A supportive organisational culture and psychologically safe teams were linked to lower levels of psychological distress for all employees. The study highlights the need for evidence-based initiatives to address bullying and cyberbullying in HEIs.

In this article, we analyse changes in the language use to describe the content of higher education in Denmark between 2014 and 2021. Based on text analysis of course descriptions of every university course in Denmark, we show steady growth in the use of applied, practical and vocationally oriented terminology. This trend is not only driven by a transformation towards more applied fields within higher education, but also directly affects courses offered within the arts and humanities, for example, which have been under strong political pressure to adapt to market needs during the period in question. Within the humanities, languages have largely followed this path, while fields such as philosophy and theology have resisted the trend and only implemented minor changes. Overall, our findings demonstrate a shift towards highlighting the application of knowledge and competences within Danish higher education. This is in line with the broader international discourse in recent years, including conclusions of several qualitative studies and theoretical contributions.