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OrientationThis article focuses on workplace policies, employee engagement and work–life balance in higher education.Research purposeThis study examined the mediation of employee engagement on the relationship between human resource (HR) policies and work–life balance among employees in the College of Distance Education (CODE) in Ghana.Motivation for the studyAlthough there is a plethora of research linking HR policies and employees’ work–life balance, the same cannot be said of the variables that mediate this relationship, as there are only few studies in that perspective.Research approach/design and methodThe study adopted a purely quantitative approach, using the descriptive survey design. Data were collected from 232 staff of the CODE in Ghana. The Structural Equation Modelling was used to analyse the data.Main findingsThe results indicated that employee engagement is a complementary partial mediator of the nexus between HR policies and work–life balance. It was also found that HR policies had a statistically significant effect on work–life balance.Practical/managerial implicationsIn order to effectively improve their staff’s work–life balance, management of the college must formulate policies that support employee engagement. Specifically, they can use flexible work arrangements, leave policy, and caretaking policies to positively influence their employees’ work engagement.Contribution/value-addThe results from this study offer a remarkable new knowledge that can be applied in promoting the work–life balance of employees in higher education.

This study is based on research on secondary textbook and school library provision in Botswana, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Togo, as well as existing recent country reports on textbook provision and an extensive desk research. Considerable variations exist in Sub-Saharan African textbook requirements needed to meet secondary curriculum specifications just as significant differences exist between and within countries in regard to the average price of recommended textbooks. Some countries have no approved textbooks list. This World Bank Working Paper aims to discuss the textbook situation in Sub-Saharan Africa with a special focus on secondary textbook availability, cost and financing, distribution and publishing, and the status of school libraries. Its objective is to analyze the issues in secondary textbook and school library provision and to provide some options and strategies for improvement.

Against the backdrop of today's increasingly multicultural society, are America's elite colleges admitting and successfully educating a diverse student body? No Longer Separate, Not Yet Equal pulls back the curtain on the selective college experience and takes a rigorous and comprehensive look at how race and social class impact each stage--from application and admission, to enrollment and student life on campus. Arguing that elite higher education contributes to both social mobility and inequality, the authors investigate such areas as admission advantages for minorities, academic achievement gaps tied to race and class, unequal burdens in paying for tuition, and satisfaction with college experiences. The book's analysis is based on data provided by the National Survey of College Experience, collected from more than nine thousand students who applied to one of ten selective colleges between the early 1980s and late 1990s. The authors explore the composition of applicant pools, factoring in background and \"selective admission enhancement strategies\"--including AP classes, test-prep courses, and extracurriculars--to assess how these strengthen applications. On campus, the authors examine roommate choices, friendship circles, and degrees of social interaction, and discover that while students from different racial and class circumstances are not separate in college, they do not mix as much as one might expect. The book encourages greater interaction among student groups and calls on educational institutions to improve access for students of lower socioeconomic status.

The COVID-19 pandemic has considerably altered the regular medical education curriculum while increasing the need for health care professionals. Senior medical students are being incrementally deployed to the front line to address the shortage of certified physicians. These students, some of whom will be fast-tracked as physicians, may lack knowledge regarding the initial management of time-critical emergencies such as stroke. Our aim was to determine whether an e-learning module could improve asynchronous distance knowledge acquisition of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) in senior medical students compared to the traditional didactic video. A randomized, data analyst-blinded web-based trial was conducted at the University of Geneva Faculty of Medicine between April and June 2020. Fifth year medical students followed a distance learning path designed to teach the NIHSS. The control group followed the traditional didactic video created by Patrick Lyden, while the e-learning group followed the updated version of a previously tested, highly interactive e-learning module. The main outcome was the score on a 50-question quiz displayed upon completion of the learning material. The difference in the proportion of correct answers for each specific NIHSS item was also assessed. Out of 158 potential participants, 88 started their allocated learning path and 75 completed the trial. Participants who followed the e-learning module performed better than those who followed the video (38 correct answers, 95% CI 37-39, vs 35 correct answers, 95% CI 34-36, P<.001). Participants in the e-learning group scored better on five elements than the video group: key NIHSS concepts (P=.02), the consciousness - global item (P<.001), the facial palsy item (P=.04), the ataxia item (P=.03), and the sensory item (P=.04). Compared to the traditional didactic video, a highly interactive e-learning module enhances asynchronous distance learning and NIHSS knowledge acquisition in senior medical students.

Background Since 2021, the prevention and control of the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic has been normalized. However, considering the high density of students and the potential for epidemic relapse, our medical morphological teaching team established a novel blended learning mode with mainly offline teaching in the general sections and blend learning in systematic sections. Specifically, this study sought to improve the teaching quality of the two courses of “Histology and Embryology” and “Pathology”, and lay a solid foundation for clinical medical undergraduates to learn medical courses well in the future. Methods In the Spring 2021 semester, two classes from the Class of 2019 and two classes from the Class of 2020 were randomly selected as the intervention groups, to carry out blended learning of “Histology and Embryology”, and “Pathology”, respectively. Meanwhile, four parallel classes were randomly selected as control groups to carry out completely traditional offline teaching. The blended learning was based on outcome-based education concepts and used small private online courses from the “Xuexi Tong” (Century Superstar Information Technology Development Co., Ltd., Beijing) platform. In the theory class, case-based learning following a self-designed P-C-P-E-S-E (Pre-class-Case-Problem-Expansion-Summary-Expansion) teaching sequence was implemented. In the experimental class, a virtual digital platform with flipped classroom learning was integrated. Results Both teaching satisfaction and students’ scores were found to be significantly greater in the intervention group than in the control group. Furthermore, the intervention group also effectively surpassed the control group in terms of students’ comprehensive abilities such as drawing, scientific research, participating in competitions, forensic case analysis, and so on. Conclusion Our novel blended learning approach strengthened the communication between teachers and students, obviously improved students’ self-directed learning abilities, and finally achieved the purpose of improving the comprehensive abilities of students. This mode is suited for the post-epidemic era and future variable environments. It also has substantial promotional instructive modeling value. Clinical trial registration Not applicable.

This paper explores the practical prospects for using artificial intelligence technologies in professional English-speaking translator education. At the online conference ‘Translation Skills in Times of Artificial Intelligence’ (DingTalk platform, January 2022), the teachers of higher education institutions in China prioritized the translator’s competencies necessary for successful professional activity during the digital transformation of social and economic business relations. The educators also evaluated the demand for online services used in the education of English–Chinese interpreters. The survey results showed that the use of artificial intelligence technologies in educational practices could have a significant impact on the development of key competencies of future translators. Using a competency-based approach to interpreter training and considering the need to develop abilities, knowledge, and skills required for successful professional translation activity, the author developed the pedagogical concept of the online educational course ‘Simultaneous and asynchronous translation in a digital environment.’

The Business of Innovating Online responds to a critical need for concrete narratives of innovation success that can serve as a foundation for administrators and leaders who are in need of practical guidance as they scale and grow their online learning organizations. Through specific examples and practical suggestions from experienced e-learning leaders, readers will be introduced to concrete strategies for how to create a climate of creativity and innovation that can lead to more successful and scalable online programs and initiatives. The Business of Innovating Online demystifies the relationship between business, creativity, and innovation by describing the logistics required to create an agile online education enterprise. Topics discussed will include: Defining innovation and creativity for online education and e-learning Knowing when and how to innovate Creating a culture of innovation Effectively leading innovation Collaborative innovation Making innovation stick and transitioning innovative strategies into day-to-day practice Assuring quality in the midst of innovation Staffing structures/administrative stability to support creativity and innovation The Business of Innovating Online provides both novice and experienced online education administrators with a comprehensive overview of a range of online innovations, how they came to be created, the components that led to their success, and concrete steps that they can take to create a more innovative culture for their own e-learning organization.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how universities can play a pivotal role in implementing sustainable development goals (SDGs). It recognises the advantage that universities have in responding to social challenges through their functions and operations, mainly through research and innovation and academic prowess. Not much guidance is available on how they can contribute to SDG implementation. The research is a case study of the University of South Africa, a distance education institution. It showcases how its science campus in Johannesburg has incorporated SDGs in its operations. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through interviews with campus operations managers and sustainability office managers, a survey with environmental science honours students was conducted and observations of the Unisa Florida campus environment were undertaken to establish practices that contribute towards SDG implementation. Document analysis assisted in complementing the data collection process. Data were analysed by aligning practices with SDG indicators. Findings The research revealed a number of practices that align with SDGs in teaching, research, community engagement and campus operations management. Unisa is however challenged by financial limitations and as an open distance education and learning (ODeL) institution, it struggles to involve students in these projects. The paper concludes that while the most obvious contribution of universities to SDGs is towards quality education (SDG 4), higher education, including distance education institutions, can play an active role in implementing other SDGs as well. Research limitations/implications This research was limited to one institution, Unisa, owing to time limitations. While this might seem like the research was too selective, it was intentional, as the aim was to research a distance education institution. The research targeted staff involved in campus operations at Unisa’s Florida Campus, which is located in Johannesburg. Interviews were limited to students pursuing BSc Honours in Environmental Management. This was a methodological decision to contain the research, but making sure that the targeted respondents were the most informed. Individual case studies are often critiqued for being insufficiently representative to allow generalisations to other contexts (Jupp, 2006). This applies to this research in terms of “populations and universes” (Yin, 2003, p. 10), but generalisations to “theoretical propositions” (ibid) are possible. Originality/value There are few studies in Africa which researched implementation of SDGs in universities, let alone in ODeL institutions. The research revealed the challenge of involving students in sustainability practices in distance education institutions and serves as a testimony that such institutions can still have successful projects on and off campus. It suggests involving students in applied research based on the current sustainability projects on and off campus.

What does it mean to be a productive professor in higher education? What would it feel like to have more peace and productivity? To have nothing fall through the cracks? The Productive Online and Offline Professor is written for today's busy higher education professional. Through an exploration of what it means to make work meaningful, this book offers practical strategies and tips to support higher education professionals in efficiently managing and effectively using a wide range of technologies and productivity tools.Higher education instructors will find this guide helps them to fulfill their teaching roles with excellence and to build engaging relationships with students while also successfully managing other priorities in their professional and personal lives. The Productive Online and Offline Professor assists those who teach online and blended courses with managing their personal productivity. Faculty are often expected to provide support and feedback to learners outside of normal work hours in non traditional classes. Programs that are designed with more asynchronous content may cause faculty to perceive that it is difficult to ever press the \"off button\" on their teaching. The author offers guidance and suggests software tools for streamlining communication and productivity that enable faculty to better balance their lives while giving rich feedback to students. Part 1 addresses the challenges in defining productivity and presents a working definition for the text. Part 2 describes the ability to communicate using both synchronous and asynchronous methods, along with ways of enriching such communication. Part 3 describes methods for finding, curating, and sharing relevant knowledge both within one's courses and to a broader personal learning network (PLN). Part 4 examines specific tools for navigating the unique challenges of productivity while teaching online. It includes ways to grade more productively while still providing rich feedback to students.Part 5 shares techniques for keeping one's course materials current and relevant in the most efficient ways possible.The Productive Online and Offline Professor is a practical guide for how to provide high quality online classes to diverse students. This book shares specific technology and other tools that may be used in charting a course toward greater productivity. It is intended to be a professional resource for fulfilling our roles with excellence and joy, while managing other priorities in our personal and professional lives.