Quality assurance in higher education has become a global activity. In the European Higher Education Area, cross-border quality assurance has been heavily encouraged by the European Commission. Behind this, lies the belief that encouraging competition among quality assurance bodies and introducing a liberal 'market' logic into the sector would…

The purpose of this state-of-the-art review is to provide a general overview of recent research on time distribution and second language (L2) learning with special implications for classroom settings. Several studies have been performed to examine how to best distribute the hours of L2 practice to maximize learning by comparing conditions that…

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the online version of the First Step to Village Schools (FSVS) Program in Turkey, which seeks to fill the knowledge and practice gap of prospective teachers, via mixed-methods research. Participants were volunteer university students from various faculties of education. In the quantitative part of…

This article explores issues that had to be confronted over a three-year period in terms of two New York State funded grants for which I was the evaluator. Major, critical challenges are presented, described, and discussed. Specifically, the paper addresses issues related to lack of planning at the grant design stage that resulted in challenges…

This report focuses on the evaluation of 'Higher education grant system for less privileged students' in Portugal, a grant program for students (coming from families) with low income whose purpose is to respond to the real needs of students, ensuring equity in the allocation of social benefits and, as a consequence, promoting social action that…

Switzerland has one of the best ecosystems for entrepreneurship. However, there is a blind spot with regard to vocational colleges: A systematic integration of the topic is currently missing. The initiative "Entrepreneurial Thinking and Acting in Swiss Vocational Colleges -- Economic, Social and Ethical Dimensions" aims to address this…

With support from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Merced Anomaterials Center for Energy and Sensing (MACES) was launched in the summer of 2015 at the University of California Merced (UC Merced). MACES is a research and education center, focused on creating innovative materials-enabled solutions for energy and…

Industrial attachments were added to the engineering academic curriculum at the Polytechnic to ensure students are industry-ready when they graduate. The question that arises is how effective are these industrial attachments to the students. Present study seeks to address this question through a survey questionnaire utilizing a Likert Scale with…

Moreno Valley College, a two-year community college in Southern California, experiences an annual migration of cliff swallows. The presence of these birds inspired the development of the undergraduate research program Flying with Swallows. The assessment of the project indicated significant increases in qualitative student outcomes such as…

This institutional case study evaluates staff engagement with a rejuvenated Peer Supported Review (PSR) process, which provides a mechanism for staff to review enhancements to practice within the broad arena of learning and teaching activities that impact on the student experience. The process is refreshed with a holistic quality model, which…

In the following article we argue that social work education and research ought to approach homelessness from a holistic paradigm emphasizing individual resilience and autonomy. The current lack of explicit curriculum in many schools of social work necessitates creative strategies to integrate homeless content into social work education. We offer…

In this study, we present a case study involving two self-service dashboards providing feedback on learning and study skills and on academic achievement. These dashboards were offered to first-year university students in several study programmes in Flanders, Belgium. Data for this study were collected using usage tracking (N = 2875) and a survey…

Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have marked deficits in social communication skills, which can challenge their ability to participate in academic and social activities. Music therapy is a popular intervention for children with ASD, and although research evidence supporting its effectiveness is growing, methodological flaws limit…

With the internationalization of education, studying at international branch campuses (IBCs) is becoming a popular choice in China. Taking Dongbei University of Finance and Economics (DUFE)--Surrey International Institute as an example, this article explores the choice criteria used by Chinese students enrolled at an IBC. Based on auto-ethnography…

The role of research in transition education has been prominent and influential. Yet too many young people with disabilities are still not experiencing outcomes aligned with their personal aspirations and priorities. Moreover, individuals with disabilities continue to experience barriers to employment, educational, economic, and other challenges…