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This paper, originally written just before the outbreak of COVID-19, will provide a review of Education 4.0 in a select range of UK and international higher education providers and offer an initial discussion of the role and importance of digital personal assistants and online and lifelong learning in delivering world-class learning and teaching. This has been validated through a literature review and four case studies using scenario-planning methodology which draw on real-world examples from the

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The integration of social media into higher education is having a significant impact on learning and teaching. As they become enmeshed in the fabric of academia, they are also becoming a site of contestation, especially in relation to teaching and learning. This research paper explores the key issues dominating current debates about the use of social media in higher education in Australasia. By exploring themes emerging from a debate around the use of social media in higher education in Australasia, it integrates additional comments from the collective wisdom of experienced colleagues from around the globe, as captured in the debate’s Twitter feed and live Periscope streaming. These comments highlight points of sensitivity in the adoption of social media in higher education in Australasia. This paper presents the findings and some key ideas that emerged from the debate.

The aim of this study was to investigate which of three types of video resources, and which additional resources, were preferred by Information Technology (IT) students for learning and exam preparation. We offered three types of video learning resources to support the delivery of a first year undergraduate IT course. We collated quantitative data on engagement with each video resource through the Learning Management System, drew further insights from an online survey of the students and combined this with data obtained from an institutional student evaluation survey. Whilst there has been much research conducted about the use of video lectures and other online resources, there has been little research conducted specifically with IT students to determine their preferences when selecting learning resources. We report the preferences of IT undergraduate students when provided with a selection of video learning materials, how the resources were used and their perceived learning value. This study not only offers a set of considerations and recommendations for the design of learning materials for IT students, but also for digital learning in higher-education more generally. Short premium videos were watched many more times than full lectures, and 85% of students agreed that short premium videos were more beneficial and effective than longer, lower quality lecture recordings for their learning. The students’ self-assessed video attention span varied greatly, with a mean of 10 minutes. Students perceived that short premium videos helped them to retain knowledge. However, the perceived most useful resource overall was the lecture slides.