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Education researchers have been urged to utilize causal inference methods to estimate the policy effect more rigorously. While randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the gold standard for assessing causality, RCTs are infeasible in some educational settings, particularly when ethical concerns or high cost are involved. Quasi-experimental research designs are the best alternative approach to study educational topics not amenable to RCTs, as they mimic experimental conditions and use statistical techniques to reduce bias from variables omitted in the empirical models. In this chapter, we introduce and discuss the core concepts, applicability, and limitations of three quasi-experimental methods in higher education research (i.e., difference-in-differences, instrumental variables, and regression discontinuity). By introducing each of these techniques, we aim to expand the higher education researcher's toolbox and encourage the use of these quasi-experimental methods to evaluate educational interventions.

Gender diversity is known to trigger creative and relationship conflicts alike, the former a boon for innovation and the latter a bane. This study aims to explore the possibility of a gender mix that is “just right” for balancing the intensities of varied forms of conflict to boost innovation in firms in India. Specifically, this paper investigated the presence of an optimal level of women as a percentage of the firm’s full-time permanent employees (Percent-Women) that maximized the firm’s likelihood of product innovation (Product–Innovation–Likelihood).

Logistic regression analyses of firm-level data of Indian establishments of varied sizes and industries from World Bank Enterprise Surveys 2014 was performed. Instrumental variable addressed the potential endogeneity of Percent-Women.

The analysis demonstrated an inverted U-shaped relationship between Product–Innovation–Likelihood and Percent-Women. Product–Innovation–Likelihood peaked when Percent-Women lay between 35% and 58%, i.e. when the firm was gender-balanced or close to it.

The finding of an optimal level of female inclusion presents to firms a defined target of gender mix to be achieved, failing to which they may be limiting their innovation potential. It compels firms to view gender diversity as a business imperative with definite implications for their long-term performance.

For India, the demonstrated relationship between workplace gender diversity and innovation brings additional reason and urgency to public initiatives, such as female literacy, for boosting female economic engagement. Innovation can power the next stage of the Indian growth story by engaging the heretofore insufficiently tapped female worker.

By demonstrating an optimal degree of female inclusion at which innovation potential peaks, the study reconciled opposing theories of diversity-driven conflicts and went beyond the commonly observed simple linear relationship between female inclusion and innovation. Further, the paper focused on India, a major developing economy with a vast female populace and growing innovation ambitions but scarcely researched for gender diversity’s role in innovation.

Firstly, this study diagnosed professional competence amongst Chinese vocational students within a broad range of the manufacturing sectors; then, the authors examined how different types of P-E fit (job, organisation and vocation) and internship quality jointly shape the newly acquired professional competences of interns.

This study utilised the COMET methodology to conduct a large-scale assessment of professional competence amongst 961 graduates from vocational colleges who had successfully completed internships. Participants actively engaged in the data collection process by responding to questionnaires that sought contextual information concurrently.

The majority of students have attained fundamental functional competencies, indicating their fulfillment of basic requirements. However, there is a tendency to overlook the cultivation of shaping competence. Three types of P-E fit and task characteristics are positively correlated with professional competence. The indirect relationship between P-E fit and professional competence mediated by task characteristics was verified through P-V fit and P-J fit except for P-O fit. Overall, the model explains 39.2% of the variance in professional competence.

“How to promote professional competence” has been highlighted as an important topic in vocational education. This paper contributes to identify the characteristics of a quality internship program for vocational colleges and firms. These insights are important in considering a student-centred approach, design internships programmes that better fit their own abilities, needs and vocations, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach to implement internships and thus, enhance students' professional development.

In the Netherlands, thesis assessment quality is a growing concern for the national accreditation organization due to increasing student numbers and supervisor workload. However, the accreditation framework lacks guidance on how to meet quality standards. This study aims to address these issues by sharing our experience, identifying problems and proposing guidelines for quality assurance for a thesis assessment system.

This study has two parts. The first part is a narrative literature review conducted to derive guidelines for thesis assessment based on observations made at four Dutch universities. The second part is a case study conducted in one bachelor’s psychology-related program, where the assessment practitioners and the vice program director analyzed the assessment documents based on the guidelines developed from the literature review.

The findings of this study include a list of guidelines based on the four standards. The case study results showed that the program meets most of the guidelines, as it has a comprehensive set of thesis learning outcomes, peer coaching for novice supervisors, clear and complete assessment information and procedures for both examiners and students, and a concise assessment form.

This study is original in that it demonstrates how to holistically ensure the quality of thesis assessments by considering the context of the program and paying more attention to validity (e.g. program curriculum and assessment design), transparency (e.g. integrating assessment into the supervision process) and the assessment expertise of teaching staff.

The purpose of this study is to generate knowledge about assessment methods in blended business education, which have become increasingly important to establish sustainable assessment practices that support knowledge acquisition for undergraduate students in business administration at a Colombian university.

For the analysis, a two groups comparison was performed using a nonequivalent control group design with a sample of 420 students. As this study wants to find insights to improve the knowledge on assessment topics in marketing research (MR) education, it was focused on the students from the business administration program. This study also uses individual scores from the state test as prior cognitive scores and the high school classification provided by the National Ministry of Education in Colombia (2012).

It was found that the variables that best predict performance on the MR course examinations were the mathematics skills and reading comprehension scores on the state test. The study also showed a better performance of female students on both assessment methods. There were no significant differences between the assessment methods or among the high school levels.

One of the limitations of this study is the limited number of items on the tests. Additionally, the authors recommend conducting an analysis of the differences between the testing items to provide a detailed explanation of students’ performance when comparing computer-based testing and paper-and-pencil testing.

Further design of teaching material and assessments online and offline, based on local and regional marketing problems, is suggested. As the current text and readings are more oriented to the English-speaking contexts, most of the problems presented are oriented to multinational companies and brands.

Insights into the skills required for future jobs provide valuable guidance (World Economic Forum, 2020). Essential skills for emerging roles, like data scientists, can find robust support within the MR course. To further enrich in-class and online exercises with Excel and SPSS, Colombian educators can leverage data sets obtained from sources like the national statistics office and international market intelligence databases available through the university’s library, including Passport and Statista. Engaging with authentic data sets provides students with a more profound understanding of practical applications in MR.

This approach facilitates the identification of key variables, such as assessment and cognitive abilities in math and reading, which predict students’ knowledge acquisition in MR. It not only offers insights into the relevant factors influencing learning in MR but also provides valuable feedback. Additionally, it suggests potential avenues for future research in this field.

How to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) of public health emergencies (PHEs) is of great practical significance to carry out a scientific and effective risk assessment. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue.

In this paper, the authors propose a new approach to identify the CSFs by hesitant fuzzy linguistic set and a Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) approach. First, a larger group of experts are clustered into three groups according to similarity degree. Then, the weight of each cluster is determined by the maximum consensus method, and the overall direct influence matrix is obtained by clustering with hesitant fuzzy linguistic weighted geometric (HFLWG) operators. Finally, the overall direct influence matrix is transformed into the crisp direct impact matrix by the score function, and 11 CSFs of PHEs are identified by using the extended DEMATEL method.

In addition, an example of PHEs shows that the approach has good identification applicability. The approach can be used to solve the problems of fuzziness and subjectivity in linguistic assessments, and it can be applied to identify the customer service framework with the linguistic assessments process in emergency management.

This paper extends the above DEMATEL method to study in the hesitant fuzzy linguistic context. This proposed hybrid approach has a wider application in the high-risk area where disasters frequently occur.

Following the recent rise in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools, fundamental questions about their wider impacts have started to reverberate around various disciplines. This study aims to track the unfolding landscape of general issues surrounding GenAI tools and to elucidate the specific opportunities and limitations of these tools as part of the technology-assisted enhancement of mechanical engineering education and professional practices.

As part of the investigation, the authors conduct and present a brief scientometric analysis of recently published studies to unravel the emerging trend on the subject matter. Furthermore, experimentation was done with selected GenAI tools (Bard, ChatGPT, DALL.E and 3DGPT) for mechanical engineering-related tasks.

The study identified several pedagogical and professional opportunities and guidelines for deploying GenAI tools in mechanical engineering. Besides, the study highlights some pitfalls of GenAI tools for analytical reasoning tasks (e.g., subtle errors in computation involving unit conversions) and sketching/image generation tasks (e.g., poor demonstration of symmetry).

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study presents the first thorough assessment of the potential of GenAI from the lens of the mechanical engineering field. Combining scientometric analysis, experimentation and pedagogical insights, the study provides a unique focus on the implications of GenAI tools for material selection/discovery in product design, manufacturing troubleshooting, technical documentation and product positioning, among others.

This paper aims to explore contribution of informal learning space - Research Cafe - to enrich research learning experiences of graduate students. Developing strong research skills among graduate students is a prime focus of higher education around the world. Thereby, universities are striving to maximise opportunities that can foster and enrich students’ learning experiences of research; however, the focus is mostly confined to formal opportunities such as research method courses and thesis writing. The provision of informal learning spaces has been recognised as a useful tool for fostering research learning experiences of graduates. This reflective paper is among a few focusing on a model of student-led informal learning space for enriching research experiences in higher education in the context of Pakistan.

This paper uses a reflective approach to generate a metalogue. The research experiences shared by the participants were further reflected by the authors after each research café session. The authors then shared their collective metacognitive reflections with each other, generating a metalogue, which was used as the data set. The metalogue was analysed thematically to generate themes.

Findings reveal that the research café is an informal space to promote academic socialisation by providing a conducive environment, peer support and informal supervision opportunities to foster the research learning experiences of graduate students. Importantly, the model presented in this paper provides a complimentary pathway for boosting learning experiences.

This paper would be useful for graduate students, faculty and university manager to acknowledge the potential of informal learning spaces in promoting research learning experiences. This paper highlights opportunities for replication, and further empirical research are needed to establish the efficacy of research café.

This study contributes to the global debate about graduate research learning experiences through informal learning space, which is yet to be explored, particularly in developing contexts like Pakistan. The idea of the research café is original, as it was conceived keeping in consideration the contextual and cultural aspects. The methodology used in this paper was specifically derived which can be replicated by other researchers.

Intention to re-participate in co-creation (IRCC) is an essential indication of customers to their deal proneness. Therefore, this study aims to focus on the role of trust in the relationship between tourists’ motivation for IRCC activities and the perceived service outputs in the tourism research.

This study applies a quantitative method approach to achieve perceptions into this unfamiliar phenomenon of IRCC. A total of 305 valid questionnaires were collected from October 10 to October 30, 2020 in Istanbul, then analyzed with covariance-based structural equation modeling using the linear structural relations (LISREL) software package.

The findings of the study showed that the tourists’ IRCC is categorized under four factors: learning benefit, social interaction benefit, hedonic benefit and financial benefit. In the context of IRCC, organizational trust partially mediates the relationship between tourist intention and deal proneness motivation for IRRC.

The scope of research was limited to domestic tourists visiting Istanbul. Research must be conducted on tourists visiting other destinations and who differ in terms of cultural features to make assessments on a larger scale. Furthermore, when considering that co-creation is the consequence of the collaboration between the business and the customers, researching businesses’ initiatives based on promoting the participation in co-creation will make a contribution both for the managers and to the literature to formalize the co-creation process. In addition, social networks are one of the main platforms where tourists motivation to participate in co-creation, but tourists can both create and destroy value on social media regarding the businesses and touristic experience. In this respect, future research should analyze tourists’ motivation elements that urge them to co-create and co-destroy value on social networks, contributing to understanding and evaluating the co-creation process in all aspects.

In contrast with prior research, this study offers a model that integrates the antecedents and consequences of the IRCC process. In this perception, insight tourist motivational factors to IRCC activities provides a path for tourism businesses to strategically manage their activities. This study mostly uncovers the role of organizational trust positively in effect the re-participation.

IRCC is an issue that should be evaluated with its antecedents and outputs. In the literature, several studies evaluate co-creation outputs but research on antecedents promoting IRCC is limited. In this study, the antecedents (motivation to re-participate) and outputs of co-creation (trust and perceived benefit) are evaluated together.

应用量化分析方法研究再参与共创这一不熟悉的现象。2020年10月10日−30日在土耳其搜集了305份调查问卷。使用LISREL软件, 通过协方差结构方程模型（CB-SEM）进行分析。

再参与共创（IRCC）的意向是了解顾客交易倾向的重要标志。本文聚焦信任在游客再参与共创活动的动机与旅游研究方面的服务产出的关系之间所扮演的角色。

研究成果表明游客再参与共创的意向分为四个因素：1. 学习收益; 2. 社会互动收益; 3. 享乐收益 4. 财务收益。组织信任一定程度上调解了对于再参与共创的意向而言游客意向和交易倾向之间的关系。

本研究的范围仅限于访问伊斯坦布尔的国内游客。未来研究需对到访其他目的地、文化特征不同的游客进行研究, 以进行更大范围的评估。此外, 当考虑到共创是企业与客户合作的结果时, 研究企业在促进共创参与的基础上的举措将有助于管理者和学者将共创过程具体化。此外, 社交网络是游客 MPCC 的主要平台之一, 但游客可以在社交媒体上创造和破坏关于商业和旅游体验的价值。在这方面, 未来的研究应该分析游客在社交网络上共创和共毁价值的动机因素, 有助于从各个方面理解和评估共创过程。

不同于以前的研究, 本研究建立了综合再参与共创过程因果关系的模型。洞察游客再参与共创活动动机的因素为旅游业战略管理提供了一个路径。本研究基本上揭示了组织信任角色与再参与正向影响的关系。

再参与共创意向问题应该基于其因果进行评估。以前的研究虽然评估了共创产出, 但是, 对于促进再参与共创原因的研究有局限。本文同时研究了原因（再参与的动机）和共创的结果（信任与收益）

Se aplica una metodología cuantitativa para analizar las percepciones de un nuevo concepto, intención de volver a participar en la co-creación (Intention to Re-participate in Co-Creation, IRCC). Se recogieron un total de 305 cuestionarios válidos, en el período comprendido entre el 10 y 30 de octubre de 2020 en Estambul, y se analizaron con un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales basado en la covarianza (CB-SEM) utilizando el software LISREL.

La intención de volver a participar en la cocreación (IRCC) es un indicador esencial de los clientes para su propensión al trato. Por tanto, la finalidad de este estudio es centrarse en el papel de la confianza en la relación entre la motivación de los turistas para las actividades de IRCC y los resultados percibidos del servicio en la investigación en turismo

Los resultados del estudio mostraron que el IRCC de los turistas se agrupa en cuatro factores: (i) beneficio del aprendizaje, (ii) beneficio de la interacción social, (iii) beneficio hedónico y (iv) beneficio financiero. En el contexto del IRCC, la confianza organizativa media parcialmente en la relación entre la intención del turista y la motivación de propensión al trato para el IRCC.

El alcance de la investigación se limitó a los turistas nacionales que visitan Estambul. Es necesario investigar a los turistas que visitan otros destinos y que difieren en cuanto a sus características culturales para realizar evaluaciones a mayor escala. Además, al considerar que la cocreación es la consecuencia de la colaboración entre la empresa y los clientes, el análisis de las iniciativas de las empresas basadas en la promoción de la participación en la co-creación supondrá una contribución tanto para los gestores como para la literatura para formalizar el proceso de co-creación. Además, las redes sociales son una de las principales plataformas en las que los turistas están motivados para participar en co-creación de valor (MPCC), pero los turistas pueden tanto crear como destruir valor en los medios sociales en relación con las empresas y la experiencia turística. En este sentido, futuras investigaciones, deberían analizar los elementos de motivación de los turistas que les impulsan a co-crear y co-destruir valor en las redes sociales, contribuyendo a la comprensión y evaluación del proceso de co-creación en todos sus aspectos.

A diferencia de las investigaciones anteriores, el estudio ofrece un modelo que integra los antecedentes y las consecuencias del proceso del IRCC. En esta percepción, el conocimiento de los factores de motivación de los turistas hacia las actividades de IRCC proporciona una vía para que las empresas turísticas gestionen estratégicamente sus actividades. Este estudio se centra en el papel de la confianza organizativa en el efecto de la re-participación.

El IRCC es un tema que debe ser evaluado con sus antecedentes y resultados. En la literatura, varios estudios evalúan los resultados de la cocreación, pero la investigación sobre los antecedentes que promueven el IRCC es limitada. En este estudio se evalúan conjuntamente los antecedentes (motivación para volver a participar) y los resultados de la cocreación (confianza y beneficio percibido).