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Innovations and Challenges of Higher Education Institutions in the Post-COVID-19 Era

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A special issue of Electronics (ISSN 2079-9292). This special issue belongs to the section "Electronic Multimedia".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 May 2024) | Viewed by 15663

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Roberto Barchino

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Guest Editor

Departamento de Ciencias de la Computación, Universidad de Alcalá, 28871 Madrid, Spain
Interests: virtualization technology; assessment; e-Learning; cloud computing; computer networks; tools learning and gamification
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. José Amelio Medina-Merodio

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Dr. Antonio Moreira Teixeira

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Department of Education and Distance Learning, Universidade Aberta, 1269-001 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: open and distance education; e-learning pedagogy; ethics; quality assurance

Dr. Miguel Morales

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Guest Editor

Institute Von Neumann, Universidad de Galileo, Ciudad de Guatemala 01010, Guatemala
Interests: MOOC; e-learning; learning analytics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic led to a radical transformation in the global education system. Most Higher Education Institutions became, essentially, online teaching and learning centers, which prompted an important step forward in the digitization of training processes, requiring more and better tools to motivate students during the learning process. This fact has undoubtedly favored the development and improvement of online teaching processes.

This process of change had to take place in a short period of time, and as a result methodologies and learning tools were adapted. Many of the changes experienced in the educational system during the pandemic have been disappearing more recently. However, other changes are here to stay, and this, combined with the new behavior of students and professors in face-to-face classes, the maintenance of teleworking and the change of social priorities of professors and students, is establishing a new educational framework in Higher Education Institutions.

Therefore, once these institutions resume their usual learning programs and teaching methodologies, they begin to face new challenges. Perhaps one of the most interesting challenges in Higher Education Institutions is hybrid learning. The goal is to combine the best of face-to-face and online teaching, to offer new quality curricula. However, the acquisition of digital skills by teaching teams is essential. For this reason, the design and definition of learning plans for professors is another challenge that institutions have to face. We must not forget the technological challenge, and must offer support and solutions to the demands of students and professors. Currently, institutions have technological ecosystems that allow them to respond to such demands.

This Special Issue welcomes contributions that present experience of dealing with such challenges or identifying new ones. Subjects covered in this Special Issue include, but are not limited to:

Strategies for hybrid learning;
Acquisition of digital skills by students and professors;
E-learning tools and technologies;
Digital technologies and innovation;
Gamification and motivation tools for students;
Evaluation and assessment processes;
Artificial intelligence applied to the learning processes;
Machine learning applied to training and learning processes;
Accessibility and inclusive learning;
Virtual and remote labs;
X-Reality and immersive learning environments;
Learning spaces for STEM Education in Higher Education;
Microcredentials and Blockchain;
MOOCs;
Digital transformation;
Learning analytics for predicting the evolution of the students' learning processes;
Behavior of professors and/or students regarding the new educational paradigm.

Dr. Roberto Barchino
Dr. José Amelio Medina-Merodio
Dr. Antonio Moreira Teixeira
Dr. Miguel Morales
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Electronics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

hybrid learning environments
machine learning
e-learning
learning analytics
AI

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 710 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Personalized Feedback in Massive Open Online Courses: Harnessing the Power of LangChain and OpenAI API

by Miguel Morales-Chan, Hector R. Amado-Salvatierra, José Amelio Medina, Roberto Barchino, Rocael Hernández-Rizzardini and António Moreira Teixeira

Electronics 2024, 13(10), 1960; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13101960 - 16 May 2024

Viewed by 270

Abstract

Studies show that feedback greatly improves student learning outcomes, but achieving this level of personalization at scale is a complex task, especially in the diverse and open environment of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). This research provides a novel method for using cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology to enhance the feedback mechanism in MOOCs. The main goal of this research is to leverage AI’s capabilities to automate and refine the MOOC feedback process, with special emphasis on courses that allow students to learn at their own pace. The combination of LangChain—a cutting-edge framework specifically designed for applications that use language models—with the OpenAI API forms the basis of this work. This integration creates dynamic, scalable, and intelligent environments that can provide students with individualized, insightful feedback. A well-organized assessment rubric directs the feedback system, ensuring that the responses are both tailored to each learner’s unique path and aligned with academic standards and objectives. This initiative uses Generative AI to enhance MOOCs, making them more engaging, responsive, and successful for a diverse, international student body. Beyond mere automation, this technology has the potential to transform fundamentally how learning is supported in digital environments and how feedback is delivered. The initial results demonstrate increased learner satisfaction and progress, thereby validating the effectiveness of personalized feedback powered by AI. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations and Challenges of Higher Education Institutions in the Post-COVID-19 Era)

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19 pages, 9142 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A New Machine-Learning-Driven Grade-Point Average Prediction Approach for College Students Incorporating Psychological Evaluations in the Post-COVID-19 Era

by Tiantian Zhang, Zhidan Zhong, Wentao Mao, Zhihui Zhang and Zhe Li

Electronics 2024, 13(10), 1928; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13101928 - 15 May 2024

Viewed by 392

Abstract

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence in recent years, intelligent evaluation of college students’ growth by means of the monitoring data from training processes is becoming a promising technique in the field intelligent education. Current studies, however, tend to utilize course grades, which are objective, to predict students’ grade-point averages (GPAs), but usually neglect subjective factors like psychological resilience. To solve this problem, this paper takes mechanical engineering as the research object, and proposes a new machine-learning-driven GPA prediction approach to evaluate the academic performance of engineering students by incorporating psychological evaluation data into basic course scores. Specifically, this paper adopts SCL-90 psychological assessment data collected in the freshman year, including key mental health indicators such as somatization, depression, hostility, and interpersonal sensitivity indicators, as well as professional basic course scores, including mechanical principles, mechanical design, advanced mathematics, and engineering drawing. Four representative machine learning algorithms, Support Vector Machine (SVM), CNN-CBAM, Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) and Classification and Regression Tree (CART) that include deep and shallow models, respectively, are then employed to build a classification model for GPA prediction. This paper designs a validation experiment by tracking 229 students from the 2020 class from the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering of Henan University of Science and Technology, China. The students’ academic performance in senior grades is divided into five classes to use as the prediction labels. It is verified that psychological data and course data can be effectively integrated into GPA prediction for college students, with an accuracy rate of 83.64%. Meanwhile, this paper also reveals that anxiety indicators in the psychological assessment data have the greatest impact on college students’ academic performance, followed by interpersonal sensitivity. The experimental results also show that, for predicting junior year GPAs, psychological factors play more important role than they do in predicting sophomore GPAs. Suggestions are therefore given: the current practice in existing undergraduate teaching, i.e., only conducting psychological assessments in the initial freshman year, should be updated by introducing follow-up psychological assessments in each academic year. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations and Challenges of Higher Education Institutions in the Post-COVID-19 Era)

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13 pages, 541 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Predicting Dropout in Programming MOOCs through Demographic Insights

by Jakub Swacha and Karolina Muszyńska

Electronics 2023, 12(22), 4674; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12224674 - 16 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 856

Abstract

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have gained widespread popularity for their potential to offer education to an unlimited global audience. However, they also face a critical challenge in the form of high dropout rates. This paper addresses the need to identify students at risk of dropping out early in MOOCs, enabling course organizers to provide targeted support or adapt the course content to meet students’ expectations. In this context, zero-time dropout predictors, which utilize demographic data before the course commences, hold significant potential. Despite a lack of consensus in the existing literature regarding the efficacy of demographic data in dropout prediction, this study delves into this issue to contribute new insights to the ongoing discourse. Through an extensive review of prior research and a detailed analysis of data acquired from two programming MOOCs, we aim to shed light on the relationship between students’ demographic characteristics and their likelihood of early dropout from MOOCs, using logistic regression. This research extends the current understanding of the impact of demographic features on student retention. The results indicate that age, education level, student status, nationality, and disability can be used as predictors of dropout rate, though not in every course. The findings presented here are expected to affect the development of more effective strategies for reducing MOOC dropout rates, ultimately enhancing the educational experience for online learners. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations and Challenges of Higher Education Institutions in the Post-COVID-19 Era)

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13 pages, 781 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Digital Generation Influence on the Post-COVID-19 Use of Digital Technologies in Engineering Education: A Statistical Study

by Álvaro Antón-Sancho, Diego Vergara, Georgios Lampropoulos and Pablo Fernández-Arias

Electronics 2023, 12(19), 3989; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12193989 - 22 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 889

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a global health crisis that led to a sudden migration of many educational activities to digital environments. This migration affected the digitization process of higher education. This paper conducts a quantitative statistical analysis of the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the habits of use of information and communication technologies (ICT) among 426 Latin American university professors in engineering areas. In particular, this impact has been analyzed in terms of the digital generation of the participating professors. To achieve this, the responses given by them on a validated questionnaire were examined for the purposes of this research. As a result, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase of up to 47% in the use of ICT among engineering professors, but unevenly according to the different uses of these tools within the teaching activity. In addition, in engineering areas, it seems that digital natives have increased their use of ICT more than digital immigrants after the pandemic (between 8% and 20%, depending on the type of digital tool in question). It is suggested that universities take measures for the digital integration of older professors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations and Challenges of Higher Education Institutions in the Post-COVID-19 Era)

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18 pages, 3612 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improving the Learning of Superheterodyne Demodulation of Frequency-Division Multiplexing Signals via the Educational Software Tool DOSHER

by Domingo Pardo-Quiles, José-Víctor Rodríguez, Leandro Juan-Llácer, Juan Morales-Sánchez and Ignacio Rodríguez-Rodríguez

Electronics 2023, 12(16), 3381; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12163381 - 8 Aug 2023

Viewed by 920

Abstract

The knowledge of signal demodulation processes using superheterodyne receivers is of great importance in the field of telecommunications. Superheterodyne receivers receive the current focus of many scientists in a wide variety of applications. This topic is part of the syllabus of the Communication Theory course at the School of Telecommunications of the Polytechnic University of Cartagena, Spain. The authors found that the academic performance of the students had not been entirely satisfactory in recent years. This situation was aggravated during the COVID-19 lockdown. Students had to reinforce their knowledge independently at home, despite the support provided by teachers. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is a noticeable lack of educational tools in this area; of those that are available, they exhibit a mismatch with the specific needs of this subject. This manuscript shows how the design of the educational software tool DOSHER, tailored to enhance the understanding of superheterodyne receivers, successfully alleviated the aforementioned drawbacks. DOSHER was designed, developed, and applied during the 2020–2021 academic year (during the COVID-19 lockdown). The results show that students were not only very satisfied with its use, but they also improved their marks. Analysis of students’ academic performance in the year of DOSHER implementation showed an average improvement in their marks of between 9–12% compared with previous years. In 2021–2022, when DOSHER was fully operational from the start, the improvement in terms of pass rate (31%) at the first mid-term was significant compared to previous years (<20%). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations and Challenges of Higher Education Institutions in the Post-COVID-19 Era)

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17 pages, 505 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Managing Digital Transformation: A Case Study in a Higher Education Institution

by Vicente Díaz-Garcia, Antonio Montero-Navarro, José-Luis Rodríguez-Sánchez and Rocío Gallego-Losada

Electronics 2023, 12(11), 2522; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12112522 - 2 Jun 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2972

Abstract

The new paradigms derived from technological innovations lead to the digital transformation of organisations. Higher Education Institutions cannot ignore these changes, which affect them like any other organisation, but especially because of their activity: training professionals who need to learn to manage and lead organisations in this new information society. This article aims to identify the main factors that can drive and facilitate the digital transformation of Higher Education Institutions from the point of view of internal stakeholders. In terms of methodology and due to the complexity of this phenomenon, the case method was considered the most appropriate for this study. As the results show, it is necessary to implement technological innovations according to the needs, establish adequate channels to communicate the process and transform the current traditional culture into a digital one. Data-driven decision-making and the development of a participative leadership style will allow the organisation to adapt to changes over time. It will also enable the retention of digital talent, which is critical to the success of the organisation’s transformation. This will ensure the development and survival of the institution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations and Challenges of Higher Education Institutions in the Post-COVID-19 Era)

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17 pages, 2938 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Moving toward Digital Transformation by Force: Students’ Preferences, Happiness, and Mental Health

by Asghar Afshar Jahanshahi and Mohammad Rashed Hasan Polas

Electronics 2023, 12(10), 2187; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12102187 - 11 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1999

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated and, somehow, forced the process of digital transformation within the higher education sector. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, online modes of course delivery have become the only available way of teaching in almost all parts of the world. We conducted a study in Mexico to know about students’ preferences for these forced online class schedules, exams and assignments, and online teaching styles during this health crisis. Furthermore, this research sought to know about the impact of this forced digitalization on students’ mental health and happiness. To conduct a conjoint analysis, we collected survey-based data from 219 undergraduate Mexican students. The most preferred attributes for students for online classes were “having a short online class (50 min)”, “possibility to have 70% pre-exam assignments and 30% final exam”, and “having a humorous professor in online classes”. In terms of students’ mental health, the prevalence of “moderate” anxiety and depression was 21.8%, and the prevalence of “severe” anxiety and depression was 14.9%. In terms of happiness, male students and students with shorter online classes per day felt a higher level of happiness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations and Challenges of Higher Education Institutions in the Post-COVID-19 Era)

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19 pages, 15221 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Students’ Perception of Metaverses for Online Learning in Higher Education: Hype or Hope?

by Elisa Rojas, Xenia Hülsmann, Rosa Estriegana, Frank Rückert and Soraya Garcia-Esteban

Electronics 2023, 12(8), 1867; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12081867 - 15 Apr 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2757

Abstract

Online learning environments have been widely adopted, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, their usage is envisioned for multiple teaching scenarios, including international courses involving students from different locations. However, as e-learning frameworks lack many advantages of physical interaction, diverse technologies to enhance the learning experience in this regard, including the use of metaverses, are currently in demand. In this study, we implemented an educational metaverse platform for engineering courses at four different European Universities from Poland, Portugal, Germany, and Spain, then had it quantitatively evaluated by students from these higher education institutions. The obtained results illustrate positive student perceptions of its ease of use, satisfaction and fun, and immersion, although their opinions with respect to learning experience and usefulness are less clear. The students seem to agree that interactivity remains insufficient in comparison with face-to-face teaching. For this reason, we provide an examination other related works and finalize this article by suggesting future research directions in the field. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations and Challenges of Higher Education Institutions in the Post-COVID-19 Era)

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16 pages, 1188 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Online Education Management: A Multivariate Analysis of Students’ Perspectives and Challenges during Online Classes

by Silvia Puiu, Samuel O. Idowu, Georgeta-Madalina Meghisan-Toma, Roxana Maria Bădîrcea, Nicoleta Mihaela Doran and Alina Georgiana Manta

Electronics 2023, 12(2), 454; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12020454 - 15 Jan 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2519

Abstract

The aim of the present study is to find solutions for better management of online education, starting from students’ perspectives regarding the challenges they encountered in the last two years when online courses were imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research methodology we used was partial least squares structural equation modelling based on data collected by applying a survey among students in Romanian universities. The novelty of our study consists in the proposed model, which has five variables: communication problems specific to online education, professors’ skill in conducting online classes, the quality of online education, the stress felt by students during online education, and the technical requirements of online education. The results revealed that despite challenges during online classes students benefited from a high-quality education because they had the support of their professors, all the educational resources that they needed, a device to connect from, and a very good internet connection. These findings are helpful for managers in the higher education system to create better educational strategies meant to satisfy the educational needs of students in the digital age. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations and Challenges of Higher Education Institutions in the Post-COVID-19 Era)

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