Enhancing the organisation and the management of built environment higher education courses

Abstract

Purpose Persistent critical issues in built environment higher education (BEHE) curricula may need to be addressed by improving course organisation and management. In addition to the implications of the COVID pandemic, issues such as inadequate communication and lack of contemporary and innovative practices integrated with course delivery have resulted in a gap for Course organisation and management. The purpose of this study is to recommend a set of drivers that can assist academics and academic institutions in improving course development, organisation and management in the BEHE context. Thus, the study focused on three themes: course organisation and administration, timetabling and course communication. Design/methodology/approach A systematic approach was taken to obtain data, where a documental analysis and a close-ended questionnaire were adopted as data collection instruments. The documental analysis considered 334 mid module reviews (MMRs) generating data from architecture, construction management, civil engineering, surveying and real estate students. Content analysis was used to identify critical themes within the MMRs and develop a closed-ended questionnaire. Twenty academics from each discipline completed the questionnaire. Eight drivers were developed from the data obtained from both MMRs and questionnaires. Content analysis and interpretive structural modelling were applied to identify the relationship between the drivers. Finally, these drivers were categorised by their level of influence and reliance to highlight how they contributed to improving course organisation and management. Findings The study revealed eight drivers that can improve course organisation and management in the BEHE context. The study found that using virtual learning environments and communication are fundamental in course organisation and management. Practical implications This research paper suggests drivers to improve how academics and academic institutions organise and manage courses. The study recommends eight drivers that could be used as a guideline and a best practice as per the level partitioning diagram developed to enhance the course organisation and management in BEHE. Originality/value The study proposes a set of drivers to improve course organisation and management in BEHE curricula. Furthermore, insight into how these drivers influence and rely on each driver and their relation with the national student survey theme are novel contributions to the current body of knowledge. The paper further clarifies how they should be implemented for successful course organisation and management, thus, improving the quality of courses in higher education curricula.

Enhancing the assessment and the feedback in higher education

“…ISM recognised each driver’s co-relationship and influence to enhance assessment and feedback. ISM is predominantly used as a systematic and prevalent inter-relationship analysis technique for strategic decision-making (Gomis et al , 2022b). It was considered a popular analysis model for recognising such correlation and influence, improving interdisciplinary and interpersonal aspects within the BE discipline (Gomis et al , 2022a; Marak and Pillai, 2021).…”

“…6% and 68.5% in 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively. As the data indicates a decline in student satisfaction, a significant improvement is needed as student satisfaction was low compared with other themes. Student surveys, especially NSS, are predominant in evaluating the current context of quality and pedagogic alignment in academic institutions (Gomis et al, 2022b). Studies seldom use such surveys to identify critical challenges and reinforce quality assurance in HE (Teeroovengadum et al, 2019).…”

Enhancing academic support for students in higher education

“…The changes from traditional to virtual pedagogic delivery due to the issues of the COVID-19 pandemic further highlight the need for effective academic support in student progression (Cavanaugh et al , 2023; Raaper and Brown, 2020) . Academic support has been misinterpreted and misaligned with current issues such as student well-being, digital/different learning contexts, staff resources management and students’ academic improvement, which are seldom overlooked (Gomis et al , 2023a; Zancajo et al , 2022; Neuwirth et al , 2021). Limited accessibility to support services, whether for personalised support, mental well-being, academic advising, financial advice or diversified and specialised learning, is a key concern within the student body.…”

A scientometric analysis of global scientific literature on learning resources in higher education

“…Emphasis is given by HE Institutions (HEIs) on making learning resources available to students. The focus on synchronous learning throughout the COVID-19 pandemic changed the traditional practice of course management, thus, influencing the use of e-learning resources [ [9] , [10] , [11] ]. Although the implications of creating awareness of learning resources have been prominent in HE, studies identify a general lack of successful implementation.…”

“…The literature reviewed (section 2.0) and the results obtained (section 4.0) reveal a significant need for research on HE learning resources. Although there are publications on other themes within HE pedagogical implementation, very limited guidance and framework are made available for using resources in HE [ 9 , 16 ]. Most literature tends to emphasise digital adaptations rather than effective implications of learning resources in HE curricula [ 7 , 16 , 17 ].…”