Search Results for
"education"

This research explores the effectiveness of assessment tools used in evaluating the competencies and learning outcomes of engineering interns, specifically within the framework of AICTE's Examination Reforms Policy of 2018. Through the analysis of data collected from industry mentors, students, and a comparative group, the study identifies the strengths and limitations of current assessment practices. Key findings indicate that while the tools are effective in measuring core competencies and aligning with competency-based education principles, there is significant variability in ratings across different groups, suggesting a need for more tailored and context-specific assessments. The research also highlights the importance of improving mentor involvement, enhancing feedback mechanisms, and refining student self-assessments to provide a more accurate and comprehensive evaluation of intern performance. Additionally, simulations conducted to explore the robustness of these assessment tools across different scenarios confirm their general reliability but also underscore the potential for further enhancement through advanced data analytics and personalized feedback systems. Overall, this study underscores the importance of continuous improvement in assessment practices to ensure that engineering interns are well-prepared for the challenges of the modern workforce. The research concludes with recommendations for refining assessment tools, including the incorporation of soft skills evaluation, the customization of rubrics for different engineering disciplines, and the implementation of data-driven strategies to enhance educational outcomes. © 2025, Rajarambapu Institute Of Technology. All rights reserved.

Sustainability competency is an essential component in engineering education and engineers with multiple competencies are in demand globally. Engineers are important players in adapting the latest technology sustainably. Undergraduate students, who are future professionals, can use engineering education for development of the modern sustainable world and they must acquire such skills. They need to be prepared to work in teams and think critically to solve complex problems with sustainability principles in mind. Cognitive, affective, and behavioral competencies are highly needed in skilled professionals and it is not easy to develop them through traditional teaching methods such as lecturing. Activity based learning is an effective approach for developing these competencies. This paper reports an effort to create awareness about sustainability in engineering education by undertaking multiple activities (carbon footprint, energy audit, mind mapping, sustainable designing etc. ) for first year engineering students at an autonomous Engineering College in Maharashtra under Project Based Learning course (PBL). From the assessment of the activities, it was clearly demonstrated that students developed good understanding of sustainability and actively participated in all the activities and suggested various interesting measures to reduce carbon footprint and electrical consumption. They also used the sustainability principles in designing and implementation in their PBL projects at the end of the semester. Thus, PBL can be considered as a practical and innovative pedagogy to effectively support core values of sustainability such as participative learning, critical reflection, systemic thinking, and creativity. © 2025, Rajarambapu Institute Of Technology. All rights reserved.

Background/purpose. Improving student retention in open and distance education depends on understanding their preferences for the educational services provided. This study aimed to analyze students’ preferences for UT’s educational services to improve retention. Materials/methods. This study employed a descriptive quantitative method. The research sample consisted of 208 students. The data were collected using questionnaires and interview methods. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and the structural equation model (SEM). Results. The research results indicated that the students preferred printed teaching material highly; 88.5% of the respondents agreed and strongly agreed. For the tutorial service, the respondents strongly preferred online tutorials (83.6%) and course tasks (70.2%), while 45.7% preferred face-to-face tutorials and 47.1% webinar tutorials. The respondents had similar preferences for examination services between take-home examinations (THE) and offline written examinations; 77.9% said they were satisfied with the THE service, and 77.9% of respondents were also satisfied with offline written examinations. The result of the SEM analysis of the effect of student characteristics (X1), learning experience (X2), and participation in distance-learning success support service (X3) on the students’ preference for UT educational services, revealed that learning experience (X2) was the only variable influencing the students' preference for teaching material and online tutorial services with a t value exceeding 1.96 at t = 6.92, 8.52, and 7.04, respectively. Conclusion. The conclusions of this study indicate that students’ preferences for educational services at Universitas Terbuka show that the majority prefer printed learning materials and online tutorials. In contrast, the learning experience significantly influences students’ preferences for learning materials and online tutorial services. © The Author(s), 2025.

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of a collaborative learning model integrated with a mobile learning-based Learning Management System (LMS) in improving science competence among Biology education students. A quasi-experimental design with a nonequivalent control group was employed, involving 108 students from the Biology education Program at ISC Dili, Timor-Leste, divided equally into experimental and control groups. The experimental group received treatment using a mobile LMS-based collaborative learning approach, while the control group was taught using conventional methods. Data were collected through pretest and posttest instruments and analyzed using normality, homogeneity, independent t-tests, and N-gain analysis. The findings indicate a statistically significant improvement in the experimental group’s posttest scores (M = 81.69) compared to the control group (M = 68.13), with a significance level of p = 0.001. The N-gain score of 1.14 further confirms the higher effectiveness of the experimental intervention. This study concludes that collaborative learning supported by mobile LMS is significantly more effective than traditional methods in enhancing science competence. Practical implications suggest that educators and institutions should consider adopting mobile LMS-based collaborative learning to foster deeper engagement, critical thinking, and science mastery, particularly in digitally evolving educational environments. © 2025 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate.

To explore the research and development trend of practice-led research in the field of education over the past 20 years, a comprehensive bibliometric analysis was undertaken in this paper, screening 37 articles sourced from the WoS Core Collection and Scopus database. Through the review of the above literature, we can see that the application of practice-led research in education is continuously increasing, the subject areas involved are constantly broadening, and the use of PLR as a research approach is becoming more refined. The application of practice-led research in the field of education has demonstrated its unique value and potential, but it also faces some challenges. Future research should continue to explore the methodological framework of PLR and promote its wide application and in-depth development in educational practice. © 2025 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing.

Innovator competencies are crucial for preparing learners to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving world by fostering creativity, openness, and the ability to connect ideas for innovation. This study developed an instructional design model integrating Open Educational Resources (OER) with Design Thinking (DT) to enhance these competencies, focusing on the post-COVID-19 context. The research followed three phases: developing the model, creating the OER-Innovator System, and implementing the model experimentally. The study involved 312 lower secondary students from five pilot schools in the Central Lower Region of Thailand, selected through purposive sampling. The model consists of seven components, including instructor’s role, learner’s role, learning content, teaching methods, learning activities, learning resources and assessment and evaluation, organized into an eight-step instructional process. Results showed a statistically significant improvement in students’ knowledge of DT and innovation (p < 0.01). Furthermore, students’ innovation projects and innovator competencies were rated at good levels, demonstrating significant achievement. The analysis also revealed a positive relationship between students’ innovation project outcomes and their innovator competencies, indicating that stronger competencies contribute to better project performance. Expert validation confirmed the model’s appropriateness and effectiveness in promoting student-centered learning and innovation. These findings highlight the potential of this integrated approach to bridge educational gaps, foster lifelong learning, and support educational innovation in the post-pandemic landscape. © 2025 by the authors.

The study explores concerns from employers about graduates’ limited theoretical and practical skills, despite the inclusion of experiential learning (EL) in hospitality and tourism curricula aimed at enhancing industry readiness. Focusing on Malaysia’s community colleges through interviews with lecturers (n = 13) and industry players (n = 13). Thematic analysis of transcribed data revealed seven key themes. Lecturers cited issues such as inadequate training and qualifications, deficiencies in program structure, excessive workload, and students’ unfavorable attitudes. Industry players expressed concerns about students’ inadequate practical skills, limited understanding of Technical and Vocational education and Training (TVET) and EL, and poor program management. The findings underscore the need to strengthen EL in community colleges by improving program design and adopting more effective, innovative EL strategies. The study offers insights for better aligning academic delivery with industry needs, ultimately helping to ensure that graduates are well-prepared for the evolving demands of the hospitality and tourism sector. © 2025 ICHRIE.

Purpose: This study explores the key determinants and their impact on the effectiveness of successful occupational competency assessments in Ethiopia. Design/methodology/approach: The study used a mixed-methods approach with a concurrent embedded design, collecting data from various stakeholders, including candidates, trainers, assessors, supervisors and industry professionals. The study employed purposive sampling, leveraging their extensive experiences. A high Cronbach’s alpha confirmed the instrument’s reliability. Quantitative data was analyzed using mean, standard deviation, t-test, Pearson’s correlation and regression, while qualitative data was evaluated using thematic analysis. Findings: The study highlights the positive aspects of Ethiopian Center of Competency (CoC) institutions, including the safety of assessment tools and ethical behavior by shop assistants. However, obstacles like institutional autonomy, assessor incompetence and one assessor per session impact effectiveness. The study found that factors related to CoC institutions and assessment centers have the biggest impact on how effective competency assessments are, ranking first and second. The study suggests that the Ministry of Labor and Skill should grant regional CoC agencies autonomy to integrate industry and competency assessments. Originality/value: The study investigates occupational competency assessment in Ethiopia, a relatively unexplored area in competency-based education. It addresses Ethiopia’s regulatory and institutional challenges, providing practical insights into competency-based education in developing countries. Key determinants like CoC institutions, assessment centers and assessors’ competencies are identified, offering policy recommendations for shaping assessment practices across Africa and other regions. Using the Social-Ecological Systems Framework (SESF) in competency assessment processes provides a new way to think about assessments, adding depth to the conversation on how these processes work. © 2025, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Study Skills in any guise are integral to Higher education worldwide, existing to help student success. Some argue generic or bolt-on Study Skills do not help with success, others that embedded Study Skills do, but no-one advocates actually evaluating Study Skills in a context of success defined as helping with student educational gain and attainment in their specific subjects. Instead, many evaluate them in arguably inappropriate contexts of a silo or bubble of Study Skills such as attendance or perceived improvements in Study Skills. Indeed, when Study Skills are found effective for success, they are often embedded or delivered in the subject context, but it is not suggested they actually be evaluated in that context. We outline what we consider to be inappropriate contexts for evaluation, and appropriate ones, and outline theory from thinkers such as Mikhail Bakhtin regarding the key role of context and discuss key issues of definitions, silos, and decontextualised metrics. We suggest Study Skills be evaluated by asking: ‘What’s the context? to make them effective in helping aim for student success. We suggest ways to do this, such as through student module evaluations, module reports, or objective student analysis by a third party. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.