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1 – 10 of 776Tien-Chi Huang, Shin-Jia Ho, Wen-Hui Zheng and Yu Shu
The importance of multidimensional and engaging instruction for sustainable development goals (SDGs) in higher education cannot be overstated. Such instructions should motivate…
Abstract
Purpose
The importance of multidimensional and engaging instruction for sustainable development goals (SDGs) in higher education cannot be overstated. Such instructions should motivate students not only to memorize and contemplate these goals but also to actively participate in addressing SDG-related challenges. Consequently, this study aims to develop practical and appropriate instructional approaches to education for sustainable development (ESD) in higher education to enhance students’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviors concerning sustainability.
Design/methodology/approach
By using a quasi-experimental design, this ESD study was conducted at a university in central Taiwan. A total of 121 students from diverse academic backgrounds participated in the 16-week experiment, which was divided into three groups. Lecturing, thematic teaching and design-thinking strategies were applied to these respective groups.
Findings
The thematic-teaching and design-thinking groups displaying improved cognitive performance. However, the quantity results revealed that the design-thinking group surpassed the other two groups in sustainability knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and mind map tasks. The qualitative findings further indicated that design thinking – through multiple practical problem-solving activities – guided college students to think independently and sustainably, as well as enabled them to internalize the value of sustainable development. By implementing these effective approaches, the core goals of ESD-related personal and societal transformations may be realized.
Practical implications
This study proposed a goal-oriented ESD instructional model for educators, demonstrating the efficacy of design thinking in cultivating higher-order thinking and affection for ESD in students. Additionally, this study introduced an innovative evaluation approach – mind mapping – to the ESD domain, which may compensate for the limitations of the survey method.
Originality/value
This study provides empirical evidence for the effectiveness of design thinking and thematic-based pedagogies in sustainable development higher education. Additionally, it also offers a practical ESD instructional model with reference value for scholars and multi-domain instructors. Moreover, the study highlights that by examining organizational governance from the perspectives of design thinking and higher-order affection, sustainable and economic development need not be mutually exclusive concepts. Instead, pursuing SDGs can be viewed as investment opportunities for organizations rather than mere costs.
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Mirza Rayana Sanzana, Mostafa Osama Mostafa Abdulrazic, Jing Ying Wong, Jaya Kumar Karunagharan and Jason Chia
This paper presents two educational gamified virtual labs and investigates different methods of including gamified elements in virtual labs used for teaching. The purpose of this…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper presents two educational gamified virtual labs and investigates different methods of including gamified elements in virtual labs used for teaching. The purpose of this study is to investigate if immersive gamified virtual labs can be used as effective pedagogical tools by properly incorporating them into higher education curricula to assist low-risk active learning and student engagement.
Design/methodology/approach
This research design comprises two gamified virtual labs including nine essential experiments of biology and chemistry integrated into the higher education curriculum of the Foundation of Science at an international University. Students filled in a survey after participating in the lab to shed light on appropriate ways of using gamification approaches in virtual labs.
Findings
From the predominant findings of the study, gamified virtual labs increase student involvement thereby enhancing knowledge development with active learning and may be a potentially suitable pedagogical tool for low-risk interactive learning.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations of the study include findings based on gamified virtual labs but not comparing the gamified virtual labs to simple virtual simulations to further investigate the pedagogical approach and understand the student perceptions in a simple virtual simulation and a gamified virtual lab.
Practical implications
The findings of this study will provide evidence that gamified virtual labs integrated into higher education curricula as supplementary tools for laboratory experimentation improve the educational delivery process.
Originality/value
This research highlights an appropriate way of integrating 3D virtual labs into practical curricula while discussing the benefits.
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This study aims to present a step-by-step implementation of the culturo–techno-contextual approach (CTCA) in a university classroom to teach industry and competitive analysis in…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to present a step-by-step implementation of the culturo–techno-contextual approach (CTCA) in a university classroom to teach industry and competitive analysis in the Ghanaian undergraduate entrepreneurship development curriculum. It further investigates the efficacy of the CTCA in breaking difficulties related to the study of industry and competitive analysis as a difficult concept in the Ghanaian entrepreneurship development curriculum. In doing this, the CTCA is compared with the lecture method.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopts a quantitative approach. A quasi-experimental design is employed to gather data from 215 level 400 (4th-year undergraduate students) entrepreneurship development students at a Ghanaian public university. The experimental group was taught with CTCA, while the control group used the lecture method. The data was collected using the industry and competitive analysis achievement test (ICAAT). As random assignment to experimental and control groups were not possible, the data were subjected to an analysis of covariance approach with pre-test scores added as a covariate.
Findings
The results show that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group. The results further indicate the efficacy of CTCA in improving undergraduate students’ performance in complex concepts of entrepreneurship.
Originality/value
Researchers usually test alternative teaching methods to break down barriers to study difficulties. The study’s uniqueness stems from the CTCA’s ground-breaking application to the study of entrepreneurship development in a Ghanaian public university.
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Ding Liu and Chenglin Li
Safety training can effectively facilitate workers’ safety awareness and prevent injuries and fatalities on construction sites. Traditional training methods are time-consuming…
Abstract
Purpose
Safety training can effectively facilitate workers’ safety awareness and prevent injuries and fatalities on construction sites. Traditional training methods are time-consuming, low participation, and less interaction, which is not suitable for students who are born in Generation Z (Gen Z) and expect to be positively engaged in the learning process. With the characteristic of immersive, interaction, and imagination, virtual reality (VR) has become a promising training method. The purpose of this study is to explore Gen Z students’ learning differences under VR and traditional conditions and determine whether VR technology is more suitable for Gen Z students.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper designed a comparison experiment that includes three training conditions: VR-based, classroom lecturing, and on-site practice. 32 sophomore students were divided into four groups and received different training methods. The eye movement data and hazard-identification index (HII) scores from four groups were collected to measure their hazard-identification ability. The differences between the participants before and after the test were tested by paired sample t-test, and the differences between the groups after the test were analyzed by one-way Welch’s analysis of variance (ANOVA) test.
Findings
The statistical findings showed that participants under VR technology condition spent less time finding and arriving at the Areas of Interest (AOIs). Both the eye movement data and HII scores indicated that VR-based safety training is an alternative approach for Gen Z students to traditional safety training methods.
Originality/value
These findings contribute to the theoretical implications by proving the applicability of VR technology to Gen Z students and empirical implications by guiding colleges and universities to design attractive safety training lessons.
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Ahmad Sukkar, Moohammed Wasim Yahia, Emad Mushtaha, Aref Maksoud, Salem Buhashima Abdalla, Omar Nasif and Omer Melahifci
This study analyzes the effect of the techniques of active teaching and learning as a way of delivery on the outcomes of quality learning. Focusing on the courses of architectural…
Abstract
Purpose
This study analyzes the effect of the techniques of active teaching and learning as a way of delivery on the outcomes of quality learning. Focusing on the courses of architectural science taught in a nontraditional method using various active learning strategies, the study takes the case study of the course Building Illumination and Acoustics (BIA) delivered in the academic year 2019–2020 at the University of Sharjah (UoS)'s Architectural Engineering Department (AED).
Design/methodology/approach
Utilizing both quantitative and qualitative research approaches, the study applied a case study and survey as methods. A questionnaire was designed and performed to assess the level of students' satisfaction with the implemented active teaching method.
Findings
The vibrant learning setting made the students actively engaged and more motivated and enthusiastic. The active learning practices used, including employing senses as in sight and hearing, reasoning rationally and intuitively, reflecting and acting, working steadily and in fits and starts, creating mathematical models, visualizing and memorizing and drawing analogies, were efficient in boosting their ability to comprehend theoretical concepts more effectively. The delivery style effectively enhances quality learning when various active techniques are used pedagogically beyond being merely a utilitarian instrument to prepare novice students of architectural engineering to fulfill practical challenges.
Research limitations/implications
This article focuses specifically on a theoretical, scientific non-studio course in a particular program of architectural engineering in a particular semester before the dramatic changes in styles of teaching delivery that happened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Future research could further highlight its results by comparing them to statistical evidence of the development of the course, especially for the duration of online teaching during the pandemic and the hybrid teaching period after it.
Originality/value
This article contributes to the development of teaching and learning of architectural engineering in the local Emirati context by putting original theories of teaching into practice. This paper further contributes to the field of architectural pedagogy in terms of the effect of active learning in the architecture field in the non-studio courses in higher education in the United Arab Emirates.
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Abdullah Abdulmahsan Bin Saran
The global prominence of languages and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which supports the necessity of German proficiency for the nation’s socioeconomic evolution, necessitate a…
Abstract
Purpose
The global prominence of languages and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which supports the necessity of German proficiency for the nation’s socioeconomic evolution, necessitate a deeper understanding of German teaching in Saudi international schools. This study delves into the influence of various teaching strategies on students' German writing skills. The research particularly focuses on traditional and innovative methods and considers the factors that drive these teaching approaches.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 304 students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, through a questionnaire. The relationships between teaching strategies and students' German writing abilities were analyzed using regression techniques.
Findings
The results indicate that both traditional and innovative teaching strategies positively influence students' writing skills. The regression analysis shows that the independent variables (traditional teaching strategies, innovative teaching strategies and factors influencing teaching strategies) collectively account for 68.9% of the variation in students' German writing skills. Even though a variety of techniques influence students' academic performance, the study’s findings indicate that several strategies – such as self-evaluation, pair work, oral feedback, grammar instruction and translation – have a major impact on students' German writing abilities.
Originality/value
This research brings unique insights into the German teaching realm of Saudi international schools, emphasizing the harmony between Vision 2030 goals and effective teaching methodologies. It elucidates the considerable influence of both traditional and innovative strategies on student writing outcomes. For educators in Saudi Arabia’s international educational environment, the study’s findings underline the importance of adopting student-centric approaches in the writing process, ensuring students evolve as proficient writers. Additionally, the research underscores the significant role of variables affecting teaching strategies, spotlighting their pivotal role in shaping student outcomes.
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Lauren Schnell-Peskin, Gina Riley, Kristen Hodnett, Virginia Gryta and April Kisamore
It is now considered commonplace to teach in a multigenerational higher education classroom that is made up of Baby Boomers, Generation X, Y and Z students. To ensure that all…
Abstract
Purpose
It is now considered commonplace to teach in a multigenerational higher education classroom that is made up of Baby Boomers, Generation X, Y and Z students. To ensure that all students, regardless of their generational identity, are successful in the classroom, educators must teach purposefully, with an understanding of the variables that affect student learning. Educators must ensure instruction is delivered according to varying student strengths and needs. This paper will provide guidance for higher education faculty teaching in multigenerational classrooms by reviewing the strengths and weaknesses across student generations. The most effective instructional practices for teaching will be discussed.
Design/methodology/approach
This article is a literature review focused on meeting the needs of multigenerational learners in synchronous and asynchronous online learning classrooms.
Findings
To ensure that all students, regardless of generational identity, are successful in the classroom, educators must teach purposefully, with an understanding of the variables that affect student learning. A summary of these generational strengths and needs are discussed within this paper.
Practical implications
This paper will provide guidance for higher education faculty teaching in multigenerational classrooms by reviewing the strengths and weaknesses across student generations.
Originality/value
This paper will provide guidance for higher education faculty teaching in multigenerational classrooms by reviewing the strengths and weaknesses across student generations. The most effective instructional practices for teaching will be discussed.
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Razia Fakir Mohammad, Preeta Hinduja and Sohni Siddiqui
The pandemic's health and social issues have significantly altered the character and manner of teaching and learning in higher education across the country. The use of technology…
Abstract
Purpose
The pandemic's health and social issues have significantly altered the character and manner of teaching and learning in higher education across the country. The use of technology to replace or integrate face-to-face learning with online learning has become a necessary requirement for promoting and continuing learning processes. Furthermore, integrating technology is a goal of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) to make teaching and learning more innovative and sophisticated. This paper is based on a systematic review grounded in a synthesis of research papers and documents analyzing the current status of teachers' pedagogy through online learning modes in the context of Pakistan.
Design/methodology/approach
Through content analyses of academic studies in higher education and reflection on the online teaching experiences, this study discusses how students' learning is associated with teachers' teaching approaches in the modern era of digitalization and innovation.
Findings
The review and analysis suggest that online teaching is not viewed as an innovative phenomenon; rather, teachers simply teach their traditionally designed face-to-face courses through the use of technology. The paper suggests that transforming teachers' pedagogical insight to make online learning sustainable is an urgent need for higher education.
Originality/value
The analysis provides a basis for consideration of teacher learning and quality education (SDG #4) to fulfill the nation’s agenda for sustainable development. The analysis helps educators and administrators in higher education institutions reflect on their policies and practices that have short- and long-term effects on students' learning outcomes.
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Siqi Hu, Carol Hsu and Zhongyun Zhou
Security education, training and awareness (SETA) programs are the key to addressing “people problems” in information systems (IS) security. Contrary to studies using conventional…
Abstract
Purpose
Security education, training and awareness (SETA) programs are the key to addressing “people problems” in information systems (IS) security. Contrary to studies using conventional methods, the present study leveraged an “event” lens and dimensionalized employees' perceptions into three sub-dimensions: perceived novelty, perceived disruption and perceived criticality. Moreover, this research went a step further by examining how pedagogical and communication approaches to a SETA program affect employees' perceptions of the program. This study then investigated whether – and if so, how – these approaches impact employees' perceptions of the SETA program and their subsequent commitment to it.
Design/methodology/approach
Utilizing a factorial-based scenario survey, this study empirically tested a model of the above relationships via covariance-based structural equation modeling.
Findings
The results of this research showed that pedagogical approaches were more effective than communication approaches and that employees' perceptions of the SETA program accounted for a large variance in their commitment to SETA.
Originality/value
First, this research deepens understanding of the protection of information assets by elaborating on the different approaches that organizations can take to encourage employees' commitment to SETA. Second, the study enriches the SETA literature by theorizing a SETA program as an organizational “event”, which represents a major shift from the conventional approach. Third, the study adds to the theoretical knowledge of the event lens by extending it to the SETA context and investigating the relationship among three event strength components.
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Mihyun Kang, Katherine Cholakis-Kolysko and Negar Dehghan
The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions and attitudes of arts and design faculty on teaching sustainability in higher education institutions in the USA.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions and attitudes of arts and design faculty on teaching sustainability in higher education institutions in the USA.
Design/methodology/approach
Arts and design faculty from nine universities in the USA were approached for the study, using both closed and open-ended questions in a survey instrument. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to analyze the collected data.
Findings
Results related to arts and design faculty’s perception of sustainability showed high confidence in teaching sustainability but lower confidence in inspiring students to take action on sustainability issues. Faculty also perceived time, resources, knowledge and support as barriers to the integration of the topic into the curriculum. This study revealed that the faculty’s attitude toward sustainability demonstrated their recognition that sustainability should be at the core of their discipline and that they support its integration into courses.
Research limitations/implications
This study is limited to arts and design faculty in higher education institutions in the USA. The results may not be generalizable to other fields or locations. In addition, the use of self-reported data may be subject to bias.
Practical implications
The findings of this study can inform the development of curriculum and pedagogy in arts and design sustainability education. It can also guide institutions in addressing the challenges and barriers related to incorporating sustainability into their curriculum.
Social implications
Prioritizing sustainability education is crucial in addressing global climate change and related issues. Art and design educators’ perspectives on teaching sustainability can contribute to constructing a sustainable future for everyone.
Originality/value
This study provides insight into the perception and attitude of sustainability among arts and design faculty in higher education in the USA and highlights areas for improvement such as training and resources to better integrate sustainability into the curriculum.
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