Search Results

The Coronavirus [Disease] 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created significant challenges for the global higher education community. Through a desktop analysis leveraging university and government sources where possible, we provide a timely map of the intra-period higher education responses to COVID-19 across 20 countries. We found that the responses by higher education providers have been diverse from having no response through to social isolation strategies on campus and rapid curriculum redevelopment for fully online offerings. We provide in our discussion a typology of the types of responses currently undertaken and assess the agility of higher education in preparing for the pandemic. We believe there are significant opportunities to learn from the pedagogical developments of other universities, in order to strengthen our collective response to COVID-19 now and into the future.

Published abstract. Show less

Despite the proliferation of online teaching and learning in physical therapy education, there is a gap that describes best practices used to teach 'hands-on' skills. The purpose of this study was to discover the resources used, current and emerging instructional methods, and a list of best practices for physical therapy educators. A national survey and personal interviews gathered information from faculty who taught orthopedic subject matter. The findings suggest faculty used an assortment of resources and instructional methods in a variety of ways. The data generated a list of best practices, which consisted of a tangible list of pre-class activities and face-to-face instructional methods. Additional research can help faculty make informed decisions based on evidence, feasibility, and availability of technologies. According to the literature and current teaching practices, a blended learning approach is the recommended best practice to teach orthopedic 'hands-on' skills. This study serves as a baseline in today's instructional climate and will evolve as educators continue to seek novel approaches in the technological space within physical therapy education.

Published abstract. Show less

This study investigates the implications of ChatGPT, an [artificial intelligence] AI-powered language model, for students and universities by examining the perceptions of scholars and students. The responses of seven scholars and 14 [Doctor of Philosophy] PhD students from four countries - Turkey, Sweden, Canada and Australia - are analysed using a thematic content analysis approach. Nine key themes emerge from the findings. According to their frequency of recurrence, these themes are: 'Evolution of learning and education systems', 'changing role of educators', 'impact on assessment and evaluation', 'ethical and social considerations', 'future of work and employability', 'personalized learning', 'digital literacy and AI integration', 'AI as an extension of the human brain', and 'importance of human characteristics'.

The potential benefits of AI in education as well as the challenges and barriers that may arise from its integration are discussed in the context of existing literature. Based on these findings, suggestions for future research include further exploration of the ethical implications of AI for education, the development of strategies to manage privacy concerns, and the investigation of how educational institutions can best prepare for the integration of AI technologies. The paper concludes by emphasizing the importance of understanding the potential opportunities and challenges associated with AI in higher education and the need for continued research in this area.

Published abstract. Show less