Assessing University Governance and Policies in Relation to the COVID-19 Pandemic


Book Description

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, universities around the globe have taken numerous extraordinary measures and implemented many changes to their strategic, operational, and academic activities. Currently, there is a transformation taking place from the emergency decision-making in the early stages of the pandemic towards reflection and resolution on how the past months can shape governance and strategy. Higher education institutions have been facing challenges with the alignment of their university governance for their strategic and operational plans. Presently, university leaders have prioritized risk management and financial management over all else. Unfortunately, due to these priorities, university responses to the pandemic took the top-down approach of management, rejecting the shared governance structures and collegial practices of the institutions. The pandemic has accelerated the openness to change by creating an emergency or steering response team led by university presidents and provosts, with sub-teams focusing on operations and other academic advisory groups working together to deal with the fast-rising scenarios. The consequence is a clear flow of information and strong communication across the institution, which sequentially builds on mechanisms to respond to the secondary effects of the pandemic. Moreover, higher education institutions are continuously facing challenges with their strategic alignment of business objectives in order to have a diverse educational system in response to the pandemic. Assessing University Governance and Policies in Relation to the COVID-19 Pandemic presents the latest research and studies investigating information on university governance and adapting previous, existing, and proposed models for the current pandemic. This book is comprised of chapters contributed by various leading international authors to discuss and analyze all aspects of university governance in relation to their impact on strategies in finance, sustainability, academic issues, research, faculty and students, leadership, campus, employment and recruitments, and more. This is an essential text for university presidents, strategic planning authorities in universities, college deans and academic department chairpersons, government authorities and policymakers, researchers, students, and academicians.




Pandemic, Disruption and Adjustment in Higher Education


Book Description

This edited volume offers an updated picture and state-of-the-art regarding the challenges faced by universities all over the world derived from the COVID-19 pandemic and discusses the strategies designed and put in play by the universities to move forward in times of confinement and prospects of new modes of functioning in the aftermath of this exceptional global situation.




Impactful Classroom Experiences in Elementary Schools: Practices and Policies


Book Description

With high teacher attrition rates, low pay, and constantly shifting standards, the education system desperately requires a fresh approach. Yet, dedicated teachers continue to enter the classroom with a genuine desire to make a lasting impact on their students' lives. Impactful Classroom Experiences in Elementary Schools: Practices and Policies delves into the challenges and opportunities of American elementary education. It offers teachers research-grounded ideas to develop and deliver engaging learning experiences that enhance students' conceptual understanding. The book focuses on positive strategies for creating meaningful classroom experiences, such as building safe and supportive environments, nurturing curiosity, and encouraging calculated risk-taking. It explores topics like play, communication with families, and nature, highlighting how failure can be a learning opportunity and empowering student expression. Additionally, the book provides practical tips and step-by-step directions for teachers to recreate successful experiences in engaging science, math, and social studies lessons. Impactful Classroom Experiences in Elementary Schools offers educators a roadmap to transform their classrooms into vibrant hubs of learning and personal growth. By incorporating research-backed methods and fostering a love of learning in a supportive atmosphere, teachers can create meaningful connections between students' emotions and their conceptual understanding. This invaluable resource equips teachers with the tools they need to make a lasting impact on their students' educational journey, enabling them to deliver joyful and transformative learning experiences in the elementary school setting.




Discussions of Inclusive Education Within African Contexts


Book Description

Despite global efforts to promote inclusive education, many African countries need help implementing inclusive practices in their educational systems. The lack of guidelines and preparedness among school practitioners often hinders the effective inclusion of students with disabilities in mainstream education. This results in a significant number of students with disabilities being marginalized and deprived of their right to quality education. Discussions of Inclusive Education Within African Contexts addresses this pressing issue to equip school practitioners with the knowledge and strategies to implement inclusive practices effectively. The book draws on global best practices and frameworks, such as the Salamanca statement, to provide practical guidance tailored to the unique challenges faced by African educational systems.




Strategies and Digital Advances for Outcome-Based Adult Learning


Book Description

Education has faced massive changes in recent years and is currently undergoing even more radical developments, especially with the shift towards using digital technologies and tools in the classroom. In addition, the introduction of many new nontraditional strategies for learning has changed the face of education. Within higher education specifically, adult learners have seen a rise in these changes and must adapt to the new strategies at hand. Similarly, adult educators must cope with these new instructional strategies to create optimal learning environments and classrooms that promote success for adult learners. With the need for educators to be aware of these new digital advancements and teaching strategies, it is vital for outcome-based learning to be studied in the context of incorporating educational technologies and new learning techniques. Strategies and Digital Advances for Outcome-Based Adult Learning discusses the latest advancements in adult learning as well as learning assessments to identify adult learner success. It adds to the pertinent research with an update of new information, tools, tips, and techniques for working with the adult learner in the modern educational environment. By highlighting a broad range of topics such as instructional design, experiential learning, formative assessments, competency-based education, and more, this book is ideally designed for teachers, administrators, curriculum developers, instructional designers, academicians, educational professionals, researchers, and upper-level students seeking current research on instructional design and outcome-based learning for adult learners.




Artificial Intelligence Applications Using ChatGPT in Education: Case Studies and Practices


Book Description

In the realm of education, the challenge lies in effectively utilizing Artificial Intelligence to transform medical learning. Artificial Intelligence Applications Using ChatGPT in Education: Case Studies and Practices, authored by Muhammad Shahzad Aslam and Saima Nisar, offers insights into this issue. With expertise in Medical and Health Education, and Health Informatics, the authors explore AI's potential in reshaping medical education. Traditional medical education struggles to keep up with expanding knowledge and evolving medical science, leaving educators and students overwhelmed by vast information. Ethical concerns, such as plagiarism, further complicate matters. A solution is needed that blends technology with effective teaching. Artificial Intelligence Applications Using ChatGPT in Education: Case Studies and Practices proposes such a solution. By harnessing ChatGPT's capabilities as an AI chatbot, the book suggests a self-guided learning tool. Backed by case studies, the authors demonstrate how ChatGPT can become a personalized tutor, helping students grasp complex medical concepts at their own pace. The book also delves into the ethical aspects of AI integration, ensuring responsible use in academia.




Policy and Practice Challenges for Equality in Education


Book Description

Well-educated populations are important aspects of any contemporary society, as education increases national and global development and the positive expansion of communities to participate actively in civil matters also increases. Educational equality is based on the principles of administrative competence and fairness of access and distribution of resources, opportunities, and treatment, which ensures success for every person. Ensuring equal access to quality education requires addressing a wide range of persistent inequalities in society and includes a stronger focus on how different forms of inequalities intersect to produce unequal opportunities or outcomes that affect marginalized and vulnerable groups. Policy and Practice Challenges for Equality in Education takes a multifaceted look at issues of equality and inequality in education as related to policy, practice, resource access, and distribution. As such, this book explores the potential practices in education that serve to mitigate and transform unproductive practices which have left societies scarred by social and educational inequalities. The chapters provide a critical analysis of the manifestations of inequalities in various educational contexts and discerns how broader social inequalities are informed by education-related matters. This book is ideal for sociologists, administrators, instructors, policymakers, data scientists, community leaders, practitioners, stakeholders, researchers, academicians, and students interested in educational equality and the unique challenges being faced worldwide.




Leadership and Management Strategies for Creating Agile Universities


Book Description

The global higher education sector has changed dramatically as universities continue to face unprecedented challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Many are struggling to navigate this crisis while maintaining high-quality course delivery, ensuring strong student recruitment numbers, and providing clear communication to staff and students. Issues have emerged at an exponential rate, and coping with the pandemic has been particularly difficult for universities as they serve several functions, such as being educational institutions as well as major employers. Leadership and Management Strategies for Creating Agile Universities reflects on the challenges that higher education institutions have faced during the pandemic and the associated projected socio-economic impact yet to be felt. It also considers how different universities have addressed the challenges so as to learn what has and has not worked and speculates what future implications exist for the vision of a new higher education sector in a changing world. Covering topics such as developmental leadership, IT governance, and lifelong learning, it is ideal for policymakers, industry professionals, academicians, researchers, governors, decision makers, teachers, and students.




Restructuring General Education and Core Curricula Requirements


Book Description

In academia, a looming challenge threatens the very foundations of education as we know it. This formidable adversary is none other than the demographic cliff, a phenomenon that casts a long shadow over the future of higher learning. Simultaneously, the shifting perceptions of education in our modern world have given rise to fierce competition for students. This has resulted in a series of revisions in admission and transfer policies, causing enthusiastic debates about the rightful place of credits within a student's academic journey. Restructuring General Education and Core Curricula Requirements is a groundbreaking book that emerges as the solution to these pressing challenges. This remarkable work serves as a beacon of hope in these turbulent times, offering a comprehensive exploration of the core curricula dilemma and paving the way for transformative change. It addresses the need for thoughtful reflection on the meaning of core curricula in the modern world, diving into its history, and presenting innovative solutions for institutions seeking to provide students with a rigorous and relevant core education.




AI Approaches to Literacy in Higher Education


Book Description

The ongoing struggle to increase literacy within our population is one of the defining goals of education. Educational environments continue to incorporate more and more technology into their cache of necessary tools as the lives of their students depend on these devices at a growing rate. Artificial intelligence (AI) and literacy education are bound to face a convergence that will be a transformative force. AI Approaches to Literacy in Higher Education delves into the synergies between advanced technology and the cultivation of literacy skills, illuminating innovative methodologies and applications that redefine educational paradigms. This book is a comprehensive analysis of AI's potential to elevate literacy among higher education students. The book strategically integrates research studies, case analyses, and theoretical perspectives to construct a nuanced understanding of AI's role in shaping literacy outcomes. This work uncovers the intricate interplay between technology and academic literacy by utilizing a tapestry of AI-driven tools, strategies, and techniques. Educators, researchers, instructional designers, and higher education professionals will find this book invaluable.