IDEAS for Transforming Higher Education: An Overview of Ongoing Trends and Challenges

Abstract

The recent unexpected impact of the global pandemic on higher education has caused universities, governments, students, and teachers to reexamine all components of existing systems, including how to become more effective and efficient in using technologies for education. We have seen that moving classes online—either blended or fully online—can be done rapidly, but early reports show huge variations in quality, acceptance, completion, and learning. Thus, it is important to examine the existing research literature on pedagogical innovations and practices that use technologies. To understand this complex situation, the present study examines the current technological, organisational, and pedagogical trends and challenges using an exploratory design carried out in three stages. In stage one, a literature review of the academic and grey literature was conducted, identifying 14 trends of interest. These trends were used in a workshop and interview discussion between leading experts in the higher education field. Stage two focused on identifying 108 initiatives that represent these trends. Finally, 30 of these were selected as cases for further exploration in stage three. Using thematic analysis, the 30 cases were condensed into 12 main themes that represent the innovative practices that led to development of the IDEAS framework as a signpost on the roadmap of next-generation pedagogy for transforming higher education. IDEAS is presented in the discussion alongside examples and ways to apply it in higher education contexts.

INTERCAMBIO VIRTUAL EN AMERICA LATINA: REPORTE DE EXPERIENCIA EN INILAT mov+

“…La idea de movilidad internacional virtual ha sido discutida durante más de 20 años (Mora, 1998). El aprendizaje colaborativo en línea a través de la movilidad virtual internacional es una tendencia clave en el desarrollo presente y futuro de la educación superior (Guàrdia, 2021), pues favorece la disminución de la brecha entre las universidades y la sociedad, por medio de la transformación tecnológica (Bozkurt, 2020). Sin embargo, aún no se había difundido ampliamente en el UNESC.…”

“…Son innumerables los retos a superar en relación con la estrategia de internacionalización a nivel online, ya que requiere el uso de tecnologías digitales y exige accesibilidad y calidad de servicio (Bozkurt, 2020;Guàrdia, 2021). Los departamentos de internacionalización de instituciones públicas y privadas pueden estimular la formación de directivos, docentes y estudiantes para este nuevo modelo de movilidad (Stallivieri, 2020;Woicolesco, 2022).…”

GRAF: A System for the Assessment, Accreditation and Representation of Competency Learning in Online Higher Education

“…• Students receive tailored, continuous feedback on their learning and competency acquisition [12], based on the descriptions in the rubrics. The rubric is the instrument used to design and assess students' output.…”

Students of Palestine Technical University Khadoori Awareness of “University Education Democracy” Concept

“…Universities nowadays are facing difficulties in making decisions (Guàrdia et al, 2021), They can either follow market requirements and become engines for the transmitting skills and technology for the community, or they can maintain their individuality and choose the ideals they want for representing themselves (Imad Gburi, 2016). Simply enrolling students in a higher education institution does not promise that they will obtain a democratic and internationalized education that recognizes, promotes and supports cultural diversity (Rebeca Heringer, 2019).…”