This paper presents an experience in which Lesson Studies (LS) are viewed as a lever for improving university teaching in Spain. The expansion of the LS model in the West is an indication of its value for improving teaching and provides us with different interpretations and variations of it. We will describe a process of Participatory Lesson Study…

In this essay, we offer two personal narratives of how we innovated in our approaches to teaching and learning--our pedagogical epiphanies. The first narrative, triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, focuses on innovating and moving from the use of a single learning process to the use of a portfolio of learning approaches that align with the learning…

This study investigated the process through which 32 university instructors went through as they took part in a year-long online excellence academy intended to improve their course delivery skills. For 3 years, the course enrolled a pilot cohort followed by 2 regular classes. The study analyzed benefits the academy provided to participants and…

Student engagement is consistently identified as a key predictor of learner outcomes within the online learning environment. However, there is limited guidance about using proactive strategies to improve engagement for low and non-engaged students: for example by specifically employing course learning analytics (CLA) and nudging strategies in…

This study aims to develop an AI education policy for higher education by examining the perceptions and implications of text generative AI technologies. Data was collected from 457 students and 180 teachers and staff across various disciplines in Hong Kong universities, using both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Based on the…

This study aims to assess and measure students' performances using course-key performance indicators (course-KPIs) in an academic course at a Saudi university. The approach includes three aspects of assessment (i) integrating course components and correlating course learning objectives with the program learning domain, (ii) course evaluation using…

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has been the subject of discussion, and in most cases, it has been seen as a threat to jobs and conventional methods of performing certain activities. As a result, concerns over the preparation of the South African educational systems for the 4IR have been raised. Many industries still lack an advanced…

The current dynamics of knowledge and innovation generation are faced with, sometimes, incompatible social and cultural trends. Something to which the University is not oblivious. Based on contemporary studies and our own experience, one of the clearest tensions has to do with the ability to judging based on reasons and not emotions. To help with…

There is widespread concern that economics does not attract as broad or diverse a pool of talent as it could. For example, less than one-third of undergraduates who receive degrees in economics are women, significantly lower than in math or statistics. This article presents a case study of a new introductory undergraduate course at Harvard,…

This paper examines the development and validation of the Survey of Climate for Instructional Improvement (SCII). SCII has 30-item Likert-scale items with 1 open response question and is designed to measure five aspects of organizational climate in postsecondary settings. The goal of this paper is to describe: (a) our development process, (b)…

There is a great importance of feedback in improving learning experience for the students. This has also significant effect in professionalizing teaching in the higher education level. However, feedback is considered as a difficult issue in this arena. Most of the lecturers are still continuing with the tradition form of feedback. This form of…

In recent years, the enhancement of learning and teaching has become a priority, not only for higher education institutions, but also for national governments, the European Union and the Bologna Process. This report aims to map the learning and teaching landscape in 28 higher education systems and to provide insight into how teaching enhancement…

This report was commissioned by the Higher Education Academy (HEA) at the request of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The report was produced by the Centre for Higher Education Research and Evaluation at Lancaster University. The views expressed in the report are those of the authors. The report evaluates HEFCE-funded…

Cooperative learning is an example of how theory validated by research may be applied to instructional practice. The major theoretical base for cooperative learning is social interdependence theory. It provides clear definitions of cooperative, competitive, and individualistic learning. Hundreds of research studies have validated its basic…

This research aims to uncover key motivations, barriers and outcomes associated with first-time users of peer observation of teaching within an Irish higher level academic context. Following preliminary research, a peer observation process was piloted on five self-selected peer observation faculty pairs involving peer observation training and…