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In light of Egypt’s expanding flow of online learning (OL), quality assurance (QA) has undoubtedly become a strategic priority. In the near future, QA strategy is anticipated to be a major topic of discussion in educational policy talks. Critical policy concerns must be addressed, like sustaining globally acceptable QA standards and responding to the government’s and other stakeholders’ goals and objectives for OL. Our chapter aspires to offer a contribution to current literature in this regard. This chapter aims to investigate the aspects of QA in maintaining OL, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Particularly, we analyze internal QA of OL in the Egyptian higher education (HE) sector through quality assurance and accreditation project (QAAP) and program of continuous improvement and qualifying for accreditation (PCIQA). We discuss the external quality assurance and accreditation of Egyptian HE institutions with a special focus on the national authority for quality assurance and accreditation of education (NAQAAE). We investigate the policies, practices, and quality standards that are employed by HE institutions to ensure the quality of online courses and programs through document analysis.

The issue of quality assurance in vocational and technical education (VTE) programs identifies a perilous need to develop a conceptual framework for teaching and learning standards. This study aims to identify standard components for teaching and learning to ensure quality delivery for the achievement of VTE objectives. The quality assurance framework for teaching and learning is envisioned as a closed-loop management process that functions as an effective operational scheme to coordinate teaching processes that support the structure for quality assurance in VTE programs.

Survey data were collected through a questionnaire developed to examine the quality standards for teaching and learning in VTE from 259 respondents from colleges of education. The identified quality components for teaching and learning and their quality indicators were analysed.

The conceptual framework for teaching and learning with the 12 quality components and 62 quality indicators is the key standard for improving quality teaching and learning to meet the desired goals of VTE programs.

The framework proposed is flexible and can be applied to many other programs to ensure that teachers are professional enough to teach effectively to provide adequate learning outcomes.

Based on student responses to a set of customized questionnaires, this study aims to present evidence that while student evaluations of instructors and courses remain consistent, a designated mobile app enhances perceived online learning experience.

This study addresses quality assurance issues in accelerated online graduate-level education by identifying factors that influence nontraditional adult student preferences for using mobile applications (apps).

It is evident that affordability and functionality are the two most important determinants of nontraditional student preferences for app-based learning, followed by mobility and ease of purchase.

These findings underscore the potential of app learning to bolster positive perceptions of online education. Findings of this study imply that integrating additional app learning tools can be used as a quality assurance mechanism and enhance nontraditional students’ satisfaction through improving their perceived online learning experience.

This paper aims to critically evaluate the evolution of Assurance of Learning (AoL) in business education and identify gaps and responsibilities in higher institution landscapes moving into the future. This comes amidst increasing structural reforms, an increasingly digitalised world, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and wider scrutiny of graduate competencies for job readiness.

A systematic literature review comprising 27 journal articles published between 2018 and 2022 is the methodology used in this research. This approach is justified as it provides a recent synopsis of current trends on AoL and encompasses the changes over the course of the COVID-19-induced higher education landscapes.

The systematic literature review revealed a strong flavour for AoL measurement through the students' perspectives, with little emerging from faculty insights. Only six out of the 27 articles were framed in a non-English speaking background, revealing that most studies were still concentrated in a US or English environment. Also, while papers on AoL have increased in numbers from 2018 to 2022, there remains scant literature on AoL measurements related to the COVID-19 pandemic and recent digital technologies, and how these would have changed given the rapid shift to online or hybrid environments.

A comprehensive review of AoL literature from 2018 to 2022 is undertaken through Leximancer, which reveals conceptual and relational ties between core themes and concepts of interest. The findings inform business school leaders of the current state of AoL processes, by combining the views of students, faculty and managers.

The global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has largely transformed the higher education ecosystem and shifted the modes of delivery around the world. The rapid shift from traditional face-to-face teaching to online delivery was accompanied by a set of significant challenges. In Lebanon, the situation was exacerbated by a plethora of political, economic, and humanitarian crises. Even the most well-prepared Lebanese higher education institutions were facing an insurmountable challenge to maintain education quality under extremely strenuous circumstances and limited resources. The challenges included the absence of clear quality assurance mechanisms, problems associated with limited internet connectivity due to frequent electric power outages, the lack of teacher and student preparedness for online delivery, and the absence of online-ready curricula. Nevertheless, Lebanese universities were able to make the necessary adjustments for their students to complete their education using available resources and minimal training. The current chapter explores the challenges faced by private and public universities in Lebanon and the approaches utilized to overcome tremendous limitations. We discuss the lessons learned during the process of adopting online and hybrid classroom learning, and the opportunities for growth that were brought about by unforeseen circumstances. We also introduce the changes needed on the institutional, national, and regional levels to prepare for the post-pandemic era in higher education.

This paper aims to discuss Assurance of Learning (AoL) and 2020 Standards from Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International with Marine Condette from AACSB.

Structured interview.

Changes following the 2020 Standards.

This paper is an interview with Marine Condette from the AACSB Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) office on AoL discussing as well the changes with the 2020 AACSB Standards.

Course credentialing essentially involves the implementation of digital badges. A number of studies have recently been conducted that clarify this philosophy and promote their adoption in learning programmes. The research presented in this chapter contributes to the body of knowledge on learning and teaching regarding the comparative analyses of learning outcomes, multidimensional credentialing and digital badges relevant to the pedagogy of construction management. The aim of this research was to determine the maturity of multidimensional credentialing within its online pedagogy in particular. A review of literature pertaining to course multi-disciplining, accreditation, credentialing and digital badges had been conducted. Comparative analyses were performed to allocate learning outcomes of the tertiary institution and two accrediting bodies onto each unit in the online delivery mode of a Construction Management Bachelor Degree course. These analyses had yielded three matrices that could assist decision-making on how to assess learning in each unit. The results revealed that almost all units in this course had implemented at least one tertiary institution and accrediting body learning outcome.

“The unexamined life is not worth living,” said Socrates. That is, without critically inquiring into the knowledge of life, which is well-being and valuable, life is not worth living. Critical thinking questions existing theories and their unexamined and obsessive assumptions and generalizations, constraints, and the so-called “best” practices of the prevailing system of management and tries to replace them with more valid assumptions and generalizations that uphold the dignity, uniqueness, and inalienable rights of every individual and the community. In our diverse and pluralistic cultural environment, the promise of a truly generative dialogue among occidental (western) and oriental (eastern) cultures and civilizations holds great hope for the future. Critical thinking can facilitate this dialogue such that all of us have a meaningful place in this universe. In this chapter, we explore introductory working definitions of critical thinking so that we can early enough understand its demanding domains, moral calls, and ramifications in its current critical applications. Specifically, in Part I, we examine the structured layers of our thinking and reasoning to dismantle them progressively, and in Part II, in support of our claims, we explore complexity and chaos theories as a new resource for critical thinking.

This study aims to discover the general trends, the structural characteristics of the knowledge base, and developments in the field of internationalization of higher education (IHE) in Turkey. In this respect, the studies published in journals indexed by SSCI, SCI-Expanded, ESCI, and AHCI in Web of Science (WoS) between January 1, 1975, and November 20, 2021, were analyzed. The dataset included 260 articles. We administered descriptive analysis reflecting the topographical features and the dynamics of the related literature through Excel and the WoS analysis tools. We conducted bibliometric analyses to shed light on the current view of the literature and reveal the intellectual structure of the knowledge base and topical foci. The volume of the research in the field of IHE in Turkey and their yearly distribution suggests that this area of research is still in its infancy; however, there has been a rapid growth in the number of publications recently. Author co-citation analysis reveals four distinct schools of thought labeled as “Higher Education Policy Studies in EU,” “Global Socio-politics and Economics of IHE,” “Socio-cultural and Psychological Dimensions of Internationalization” and “Language Studies.” Finally, topical foci in the knowledge base emerged as “International Student Mobility,” “Psychological and Cultural Adaptation of International Students,” “Higher Education Policy Reforms,” “International Staff Mobility” and “Migration Related Issues.” The results are discussed with related review studies and suggestions for future research are provided.