Trends in Higher Education

Knowledge and problem-solving approaches that span disciplinary boundaries and involve diverse communities are foundational aspects of transdisciplinarity. Transdisciplinary approaches in research efforts are needed to address complex problems of global importance. At the same time education systems should be preparing graduates to enter the workforce with complex problem-solving skills. Students need to have learning experiences that allow for the acquisition of cross-disciplinary systematic reasoning if they are expected to engage in addressing these complex problems. Recent reports have underscored the need to create university structures and incentives that allow for dynamic and responsive approaches to this global need for transdisciplinary discovery and learning efforts; however, little is known about the efficacy of the approaches and models that have been implemented to create large-scale change in higher education and how they help in achieving transdisciplinary goals. Through an ethnographic case study analysis, this paper examines how a faculty-led community of practice model is being used to build transdisciplinary research capacity and transdisciplinary curricula at a Research I university. Given the unique nature of this transdisciplinary community of practice model, this qualitative and descriptive study sought to examine what elements of the model facilitated faculty participation in transdisciplinary research and curricular efforts. More specifically, this study intended to respond to recent calls to better understand the systematic approach that would need to be employed by higher education institutions if they are adequately engaging faculty in addressing complex problems in their research efforts, as well as engaging faculty in the adequate development of the future workforce through pedagogical transdisciplinary approaches. The findings indicate that the transdisciplinary community of practice model is useful for initially motivating and incentivizing faculty participation. The results also indicate that the inclusive internal support networks that were part of the model facilitated faculty engagement. Full article

The development and evolution of digital technologies can contribute to the transformation of the educational sector, allowing the integration of innovative teaching approaches. Typical examples of such approaches include artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), adaptive learning, and online educational environments. This study explores modern digital educational methods, focusing on the advantages, challenges, and future prospects of modern technologies in education. The systematic literature review was based exclusively on the Scopus database. We explored 948 articles published from 1968 to 2025. Furthermore, using the VOSviewer program (version 1.6.20), the results were analyzed, identifying and highlighting various trends and key thematic areas. However, although digital educational methods are able to provide greater interactivity, personalization, and flexibility in learning, they also face significant challenges, some of which are the digital divide, privacy protection, and teacher training. In the future, research should shape best practices that will integrate digital technologies into education. Full article

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the biological sciences marks a transformative era, reshaping research methodologies, data analysis, and hypothesis generation. This technological advancement accelerates discoveries and enhances our understanding of complex biological systems. As AI increasingly influences decision-making processes, the necessity for students and scientists to critically assess AI-generated outputs becomes paramount. The current narrative review explores the evolving role of critical thinking in biological sciences amidst the rise of AI, emphasizing the importance of skepticism, contextual understanding, and ethical considerations. It argues that while AI provides powerful tools for data interpretation and pattern recognition, human oversight and critical analysis remain indispensable to validate findings and prevent biases inherent in automated systems. Higher education institutions play a crucial role in fostering a culture of critical thinking, equipping biological scientists to effectively harness AI technologies while ensuring the integrity of their research and upholding scientific and ethical standards. Furthermore, AI tools, including chatbots, could be strategically employed in active learning methodologies, such as problem-based learning, flipped classrooms, and online learning. These methodologies enhance the ability of students to effectively utilize AI technologies while ensuring the rigor of scientific research. In conclusion, the current review underscores the benefits, challenges, and educational implications of AI integration, offering actionable insights for educators and learners seeking to adapt effectively to this rapidly evolving technological landscape. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated digital transformation in various sectors, including higher education in South Africa. This study examines the readiness of information security functions in response to this rapid digital shift. Higher education institutions (HEIs) are transitioning to online platforms and digital tools, so the need to adapt security practices has become critical. The research investigates HEIs’ challenges in aligning their information security strategies with evolving digital initiatives. It explores how HEIs address technological change, staff awareness, and evolving security risks. By examining the relationship between digital transformation and information security, this study offers insights into strengthening the resilience and effectiveness of security functions within South African higher education. The findings highlight significant challenges, including the pace of technological change, inadequate staff training, and a lack of a security-conscious culture. Despite these hurdles, successful strategies such as promoting security awareness, policy adaptation, and improved governance frameworks are key to enhancing institutional preparedness. These insights can guide future efforts in improving information security practices in higher education, ensuring a more secure and resilient digital environment. Full article

In recent years, the Flipped Classroom methodology has garnered significant interest among educators due to its potential to provide students with the flexibility to learn wherever and whenever they want. It is believed that this change in teaching may enable students to self-manage, becoming more independent and autonomous. To investigate whether the use of Flipped Classroom can help students become more autonomous, a systematic review was conducted using the PRISMA method, searching through major national and international databases. A total of 38 studies (n = 2420 students) were collected and classified based on the validity of the research design employed. The analyses revealed that although Flipped Classroom can contribute to the development of students’ learning autonomy, there are certain doubts regarding this assertion, as results from studies with higher validity point to mixed outcomes. In order to obtain a more accurate understanding of reality, it is highly recommended that future studies examining the impact of the Flipped Classroom methodology on students’ learning autonomy address the limitations found in the literature, such as the scarcity of longitudinal designs with randomized control groups, the lack of studies conducted in non-university stages, and the small quantity of participants used in interventions. Full article

Community-Based Education (CBE) is a transformative approach that integrates academic learning with practical problem-solving by engaging students in real-world community challenges. This study, grounded in a comprehensive literature review, first examines the distinctive characteristics of CBE relative to traditional pedagogical frameworks, exploring its application across varied educational contexts and the implementation challenges it faces. In particular, the research investigates the complexities of aligning community projects with established technical standards and overcoming institutional resistance while also assessing the effectiveness of CBE in cultivating socially responsible, career-ready graduates. To ensure that these findings are both relevant and practical, the study then incorporates validation from an expert review panel consisting of educators and administrators. These experts provided firsthand insights into the challenges they have encountered and shared potential strategies for addressing them, which in turn informed the development of a robust set of guidelines and recommendations. The recommendations underscore the importance of forging strong community partnerships, offering targeted faculty development opportunities, and maintaining curricular flexibility to effectively integrate real-world learning experiences. Ultimately, the study reinforces the pivotal role of CBE in preparing future leaders capable of making a positive impact at both local and global levels. Full article

Since the 1980s, wisdom as a concept, its dimensions, and its development have been researched intensively in many disciplines except in higher educational pedagogy. Owing to this theoretical gap in the literature, this paper asks, “What are the dimensions of wisdom in higher educational pedagogy?” The research philosophy is interpretivism with an abductive approach. The methodology uses constructivist Grounded Theory. The data were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The findings revealed 352 wisdom-dimension-related keywords from 28 leading wisdom publications written by more than 60 authors in the educational philosophy and psychology literature. The findings culminate in an integrative framework of four dimensions of wisdom in higher educational pedagogy, namely, ‘knowing ourselves’, ‘connecting to others’, ‘knowing the world’, and ‘connecting to the world’ with their wisdom dimensions. This paper contributes to wisdom pedagogy research by addressing both theoretical and research gaps in the literature and by offering novel insights into the dimensions of wisdom in higher educational pedagogy. Full article

Given the rapidly changing job market in Canada and globally, there have been increasing calls to address the transferable skills gap between higher education graduates and the skills needed for the many new and changing jobs across the labour market. To investigate which fields of study in higher education in Canada produce graduates who go on to use more transferable skills on the job, we created an index of transferable skills use at work from several background questionnaire variables available in the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) in Canada survey. A series of four least squares linear regression models were used to examine the impacts of variables such as field of study and occupation type on this transferable skills index. Teacher training and education programs were found to have the highest scores on the transferable skills index, suggesting that these programs (and other professional programs) should be considered as a source of inspiration for how all programs can promote transferable skill development in their students. We also found a connection between transferable skill use and management roles within the workplace, suggesting that transferable skills are important factors in promotion to management roles. Full article

The Professional Ethics course at King Saud University is part of the mandatory Islamic culture curriculum in Saudi higher education. While more attention has focused on the curriculum development of Islamic culture courses, less emphasis has been placed on teaching methods. This article initiates a discussion on integrating practical learning approaches to improve student engagement and understanding in these courses. The research explores undergraduate students’ perspectives of project-based learning (PBL) implemented in the Professional Ethics course. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected through a survey disseminated among students of this course (N = 113). The findings show that students found this learning experience engaging and enjoyable. They reported improvements in teamwork and leadership but faced challenges in time management, task division, and communication. Students suggested clearer guidelines, smaller groups, and flexible deadlines. The findings highlight the potential of practical learning approaches to enhance the teaching and learning in Islamic culture courses. Full article

The integration of artificial intelligence in education has the potential to revolutionize personalized learning by adapting instructional methods, content, and pace to the individual needs of students. This systematic review investigates the integration of artificial intelligence into personalized learning within higher education. An extensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases, yielding 17,899 records from which 45 studies met the inclusion criteria. The risk of bias was assessed using a standardized ranking system. This systematic review follows the PRISMA guidelines to ensure transparency in study selection, data extraction, and synthesis. The findings of the review are synthesized to examine how AI-driven solutions enhance adaptive learning, improve student engagement, and streamline administrative processes. The results indicate that AI technologies can significantly optimize educational outcomes by tailoring content and feedback to individual learner needs. However, several challenges persist, such as ethical concerns, data privacy issues, and the necessity for effective teacher training to support technology integration. This analysis reveals considerable potential for AI to transform educational practices, while also emphasizing the importance of establishing standardized evaluation frameworks and conducting longitudinal studies. The implications of these findings are critical for educators, policymakers, and university administrators aiming to leverage AI for educational innovation and sustainable transformation. Full article

Despite the affordances of professional development (PD) in teaching and learning in facilitating quality teaching and contributing to students’ learning outcomes, there is merit in exploring educators’ needs by enabling conditions to further develop their existing knowledge and practices. In fact, it is vital that PD in teaching and learning in higher education (HE) actively engages and meets instructor individual needs. This paper explores PD within the HE context and identifies corresponding categories common and in relation to quality teaching. Based on the review, most PD in teaching and learning could be identified within one of four categories that contribute to quality teaching: (1) assessment approaches; (2) instructional approaches; (3) communication and delivery approaches; and (4) affective responses. Equally important, instructor agency should be supported by encouraging instructors to identify and manage their PD needs via validated measures, which this review found lacking within the literature. With the expectation that such a measure would provide insights into the refinements of current PD in teaching and learning provisions, and enable HE institutions to facilitate PD in teaching and learning to better meet and fulfil instructor individual needs, it is recommended that such a measure be developed and deployed to identify instructors’ needs. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on health sciences education, and impacted clinical training, teaching methodologies, and institutional practices. Within the higher education literature during the height of the pandemic, several research studies focused on the impact of the pandemic on the students, but not on health sciences educators. Our study used thematic analysis to analyze the higher education literature from the CHELD v2 database to learn about the perspectives of health sciences educators. Out of 738 articles in the CHELD v2 database, we identified 14 articles that were focused on the perspectives of health sciences educators. The resulting thematic categories related to faculty development, student assessment, clinical education techniques, and insights into the pivot to online teaching. While our study contributes to the health sciences education literature by identifying themes from global health sciences educators’ perspectives, this study also paves the way to better understand institutional and student perspectives in a more inclusive way for the health sciences. Full article

Scholarship and creative inquiry are a common professional responsibility across academia, regardless of institution type and geographic location. The message is clear—to advance, one must demonstrate success via various metrics such as publications, exhibitions, impact factor, citation counts, and the receipt of external funds. Despite the importance of academic and grant writing to navigating a successful academic career, we believe there is a mismatch between that professional expectation and the corresponding supports aimed at developing these complementary, yet distinct writing skills. As such, there is an opportunity to be more intentional about fostering academic and grant-writing skill development across the various stages of a faculty career, including the doctoral student stage. In this manuscript, we present literature on academic and grant writing followed by recommendations for developing the skills needed, along with corresponding professional development opportunities that can cultivate those needed skills. We conclude with future directions. Full article

This paper explores the impact of technology and wellness in the context of students entering post-secondary education. It aims to provide insights into the use of technology and how it affects students’ wellness. The transition from high school into post-secondary education has often been a complex phase in students’ lives, and such complexity may be especially significant for virtual high school graduates, in other words, students who finished their high school education mostly virtually due to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students starting post-secondary education are usually between 17–19 years old, an age period at which these students are more developmentally vulnerable to the effects of rapid physiological, financial, and social changes. Despite some positive aspects of technology usage in education, challenges remain. Students navigate potential academic losses due to ineffective virtual schooling experiences during school lockdowns. This may aggravate students’ adaptation to higher-education culture and norms and academic expectations, especially formal writing standards often required in university papers. Other challenges may include the over-reliance on technology for academic, social, and personal tasks, accentuating students’ difficulties with wellness and requiring a rethinking of learning practices to eloquently respond to students’ needs in the context of the legacy of the coronavirus pandemic. This paper seeks to contribute to the conversation on how post-secondary institutions respond to the need to balance technology and wellness in the context of education. Ultimately, this paper explores perspectives on potential higher institutions’ responses to the impact of technology on students’ mental health and learning as well as implementing wellness practices while integrating technology into education. Full article

In the field of language assessment, emphasis is usually placed on widely spoken languages. However, amidst this focus, a multitude of less commonly taught languages (LCTLs) remain in obscurity, their potential overlooked and their learners underserved. This paper reports a study that illuminates the importance of training teachers of an LCTL in enhancing their assessment literacy levels. Τhe study involved 89 teachers of Greek as a second language (L2) who attended an online training course based on a major LAL teacher resource produced by a European-funded project. Through a mixed method design (pre-/post-surveys and teachers’ end of term assignments), we advocate for the empowerment of LCTL teachers through the transformative impact of assessment literacy on language education. The paper offers research and pedagogical recommendations in enhancing teachers’ language assessment literacy in LCTL contexts. Full article

Extended Reality (XR) technologies—including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR)—offer transformative opportunities for education by enabling immersive and interactive learning experiences. In this study, we employed a mixed-methods approach that combined systematic desk research with an expert member check to evaluate existing pedagogical frameworks for XR integration. We analyzed several established models (e.g., TPACK, TIM, SAMR, CAMIL, and DigCompEdu) to assess their strengths and limitations in addressing the unique competencies required for XR-supported teaching. Our results indicate that, while these models offer valuable insights into technology integration, they often fall short in specifying XR-specific competencies. Consequently, we extended the DigCompEdu framework by identifying and refining concrete building blocks for teacher professionalization in XR. The conclusions drawn from this research underscore the necessity for targeted professional development that equips educators with the practical skills needed to effectively implement XR in diverse educational settings, thereby providing actionable strategies for fostering digital innovation in teaching and learning. Full article

Since its inception, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA) has preserved student drawings and design projects as educational tools and reference materials. This practice, modeled after the Fine Arts School tradition, led to the archiving of thousands of student thesis drawings during MIT’s first century. These drawings provide valuable data for documenting the development of architectural education at MIT, illustrating shifts in representation techniques, responses to various influences, and changing architectural conceptualizations. In this study, we examine a collection of thesis drawings produced between 1873 and 1968 using a systematic, data-driven approach that incorporates both qualitative and quantitative methods for collection, processing, and analysis. By comparing these drawings with course catalogs from the corresponding years, we aim to investigate the relationship between drawing practices and teaching methodologies, contributing to a better understanding of the evolution of architectural education at MIT and the role of drawing in that process. Full article

First-year university students face mental health challenges like adjusting to independence, forming new friendships and coping with academic pressures. Research highlights mixed findings on social media use; some students use social media to connect with family and/or friends while experiencing mental health issues (i.e., loneliness, depression and anxiety), and others turn to social media for support. This study explores the associations between problematic social media use, mental health and perceived support from university, friends and family while considering EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) factors such as age, gender and disability. EDI promotes fairness and equal opportunities for learning and support ensuring all students receive equitable access to resources regardless of their individual differences. A total of 158 first-year student participants from the Psychology, Electrical Engineering and Electronics and Computer Science departments completed an online questionnaire. Regression analysis revealed that females used social media more frequently than males and problematic social media use was linked to higher levels of anxiety and depression, but not loneliness. University and friend support was associated with depression only, while family support showed no significant relationship with anxiety, depression and loneliness. Addressing these issues is critical to promoting student well-being and academic success. Full article

This review paper aims to highlight the importance of the role of reflection practice of special educators in the inclusion of students with disabilities and special educational needs. Specifically, an attempt at conceptual clarification of reflection is made at the first level, and the models of reflection that have been developed and applied in special education are described. In particular, in the first section, a reference was made to the definitions and types of reflection as described in the international bibliography. Also, the models of reflection that various researchers have developed, and each model has contributed significantly to improving the work of professionals working in special education, are described. Finally, we are referring to specific practical applications of the reflective process. These practices could motivate professionals to use them in their teaching process to create inclusive environments. Full article