International Dialogues on Education Journal

Transforming Rural Higher Education for the Postdigital Era

2022-06-08T14:19:08-07:00

Postdigital education has become a major subject receiving attention and consideration from various perspectives. For instance, there are crucial issues revolving around the meaning of “postdigital” in the context of education with regard to its implications for educational research and practice and its impact on the learning spaces of higher education, among other issues. However, the focus has been on education in general without any specific focus on rural higher education. Thus, the need to consider rural higher education in the era of postdigital education is pivotal, especially considering its peculiar nature. Hence, this study explores the transformation of rural higher education to fit into the postdigital era through the use of a review method. Relevant literature was reviewed from which themes were generated in the presentation of findings. The findings of the study show, among others, that there are misconceptions regarding the postdigital era and postdigital education—technologies taking over the entire teaching and learning spaces. However, the study also showed that, for rural higher education in the postdigital era, hybridity is pivotal. The study recommends, among other things, that policies promoting hybridity and discouraging the notion of technologies taking over the entire teaching and learning spaces should be made and implemented.

Teacher Cooperation and Education Levels as Contributors of Teachers’ ICT Use

2022-10-18T16:28:23-07:00

Globally, there is considerable investment in education technologies leading to increased attention from stakeholders (Trucano, 2017). For a deeper understanding about the implementation of various technologies, research is needed to examine how teachers are incorporating them in teaching and learning. This study focused on eight countries to examine how teachers used ICT in mathematics instruction and factors that contributed to ICT use. Results show that teachers’ education levels and cooperation amongst educators are associated with ICT use in instruction. The paper includes recommendations and implications for practice and future research.

The Implementation of Digital Tools for the English Language Reading and Writing Skills in Malaysian Private University during the Endemic Phase

2023-06-06T15:33:56-07:00

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which took place in early 2020, had a huge impact on online learning throughout the world. In Malaysia, all the students from the primary level to the postgraduate level had to cope with emergency remote lessons (ERL), where it was a necessity for students to equip themselves with digital devices such as desktop computers, laptops, tablets, mobile phones, and other relevant gadgets with sufficient internet connection for their education. However, as Malaysia entered an endemic phase in April 2022, online learning remains relevant in higher education institutions, as COVID-19 redefines teaching and learning in the 21st century. Therefore, the objective of this study is to find out the significant effects of implementing Microsoft Teams, the digital tool in the English language reading and writing skills in two Malaysian private institutions. The study seeks to find out if implementation could enhance their classroom participation and involvement in these areas during the endemic phase using the individual action research method. During the Covid-19 period, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman and Segi University used Microsoft Teams as the secondary digital tool to post announcements, class activities and as an additional discussion platform for communication and feedback besides the primary Learning Management System (LMS) set by the university. During the COVID-19 pandemic, remote and online learning with digital tools and devices showed positive outcomes. Future activities should incorporate technology, such as mobile phones, to enhance students' learning abilities, particularly in teaching writing.

Preserving Academic Integrity In The Age of Artificial Intelligence

2023-12-26T23:27:20-08:00

The advent of generative AI has revolutionized higher education, presenting opportunities and challenges, both of which require educators to not only embrace artificial intelligence as a pedagogical tool, but also to develop strategies and modify traditional assessment methods to mitigate AI-assisted plagiarism thereby ensuring ongoing academic integrity. This paper evaluates the impact of ChatGPT on traditional methods of assessment in higher education and makes practical recommendations as to how to redesign coursework to mitigate AI-assisted plagiarism today. It argues that artificial intelligence is not an existential threat to higher education, but rather, ought to be understood as a tool to greatly enhance it. It suggests educators embrace AI to develop new pedagogical concepts, utilizing it to create assignments that reduce opportunities for AI-assisted plagiarism. Generative AI not only has the potential to support teaching and learning in the classroom but is also the very tool necessary to help redesign traditional forms of assessment in a post-ChatGPT context. As virtual education grows, ensuring academic integrity will become increasingly important. Educators must harness the advantages of AI by modifying assignments so that they are not only challenging for today’s digitally versed students but are also difficult to plagiarize using AI tools. Overall, the paper advocates for embracing AI in higher education and adapting pedagogical practices to leverage its advantages while also utilizing it to safeguard overall academic integrity. It encourages educators to be at the forefront of AI experimentation and research to harness the potential of AI in transforming the learning environment.