Technology And Diversity In Higher Education New Challenges

"This book examines current and effective educational practices as well as new challenges involving emerging technologies in increasingly diverse learning environments in higher educationand the impact of the explosion of technology. These challenges are well documented in this collection of essays, case studies, and research reports"--Provided by publisher.

Cases on Online and Blended Learning Technologies in Higher Education: Concepts and Practices provides real-life examples of those involved in developing and implementing the merge of traditional education curriculum and online instruction.

Higher Education is in a state of ferment. People are seriously discussing whether the medieval ideal of the university as being excellent in all areas makes sense today, given the number of universities that we have in the world. Student fees are changing the orientation of students to the system. The high rate of non repayment of fees in the UK is provoking difficult questions about whether the current system of funding makes sense. There are disputes about the ratio of research to teaching, and further discussions about the international delivery of courses.

Academic management and administrative processes rely heavily on technology in business offices, virtual laboratories, digital libraries, and the like. Technology also has an impact upon teaching, freeing classrooms from constraints of time and space. Yet many university leaders are hesitant to set technology as a priority. This book is designed to address the subject from a perspective appropriate to leaders. An important concept covered here is that the new advances in information technology drive a significant restructuring of our social institutions, which will provide access to knowledge and education that was formerly restricted to the privileged. The generation raised with this technology demands new approaches to teaching and learning-this poses a unique challenge to traditional faculty members. The authors of this book believe "It is our collective challenge as scholars, educators, and academic leaders to develop a strategic framework capable of understanding and shaping the impact that this extraordinary technology will have on our institutions." They believe that academic institutions will change in form and character, and that such changes will affect the mission, function, and possibly even the concept of the university. The role of leadership is to both see over the horizon and adapt leadership styles to an environment of constant change. Leadership must formulate a clear and consistent institutional vision.

"This book focuses on the institutionalization of technology into education, specifically, discussing the integration of technology (and new techniques) into various areas of higher education"--Provided by publisher.

For hundreds of years, different leadership theories have been explored to try to explain exactly how and why certain people become great leaders. Research spans a discussion of personality traits, the characteristics of the situation at hand, and qualifications of the leader to try to determine what causes people to become more likely than others to take charge. This can be in various settings: CEOs, presidents and prime ministers, managing directors, governors, senators, head coaches, and more. Through the examination of first-time leadership, new theories and ideas on leadership are explored. The Handbook of Research on Innate Leadership Characteristics and Examinations of Successful First-Time Leaders is a comprehensive reference source that focuses on what qualities distinguish first-time leadership from traditional leaders, while furthering leadership theories that look at other variables such as situational factors, knowledge base, skill levels, etc. It reviews the various approaches used by first-time leadership and how each of them uniquely approaches effective leadership, key outcomes, and the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. Furthermore, it distinguishes between the traditional route for leadership, the gradual moving up of an individual over time to higher positions, and a first-time leadership in which an individual begins right away in a position without climbing the professional ladder. This book will attempt to draw lessons from existing first-time leadership experience and provide evidence for the appropriateness of such a route to leadership. Topics highlighted include transformational leadership, political leaders, ethical and unethical leadership, and leadership development. This book is ideal for young professionals, leaders, executives, managers, graduate students, practitioners, government officials, researchers, academicians, and students.

A collection of 13 studies based on research into ongoing changes in higher education in the US. They cover leadership, wellness and health programs, student services, administration, curriculum, technology, athletics, diversity, volunteer service, and international issues. Discussion questions for each study are appended for use in a graduate education course. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Colleges and universities cannot ignore the increasingly diverse student population in their classrooms, and how a focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion across disciplines trains students in the intercultural awareness they will need in competitive job markets. Yet while faculty may be aware of a need to understand EDI goals in relationship to their disciplines, and institutions may support EDI in theory, the onus of pedagogical training in EDI often falls on individual faculty. This book was written by faculty and administrators for educators who value the goals of EDI, and seek an intellectual community to help them develop their practice. Important to this book is an honest discussion of common challenges faculty may face when they engage in this difficult work, and effective strategies for addressing those challenges. The chapters are grouped according to six different themes: respect for divergent learning styles; inclusion and exclusion; technology and social action; affective considerations; reflection for critical consciousness; and safe spaces and resistance.

The rapid change that higher education is undergoing is impacting all of the core mission elements: teaching and learning, research, service, and engagement with the external world (e.g., community engagement and health care delivery). Navigating this environment requires understanding of the underlying dynamics, with particular attention to how the issues are affecting the directions higher education will take. The main focus of the book is on teaching and learning (Section 3), with Sections 1 and 2 providing important context for understanding dynamics affecting how we can achieve our goals in teaching and learning. The section on “Institutional Culture, Structure, and Public Engagement” addresses issues such as promotion and tenure, interdisciplinary collaboration, dissemination and archiving of research outcomes and data, student engagement with community development, and evaluation of research projects. Section 2 on “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” goes far beyond the usual “diversity discussion” to include addressing faculty racial disparities, intersectionality, and “parity in participation.” Then, Section 3, “Teaching and Learning” focuses on out-of-the classroom teaching and on technology enhanced learning, all with many connections to Sections 1 and 2. The intended audience includes both academics and professionals (e.g., faculty and students in departments of higher education, anthropology, and education policy). Higher education leaders, administrators, governing board members, and many others will find the book helpful in providing insight into the future of higher education, especially as it concerns instruction and learning. The book will also be of use to professionals outside higher education who work on policy issues, on meeting the needs of employers, and on preparing students for applying knowledge in their personal lives. Praise for Paths to the Future of Higher Education: "Higher education in the United States is currently undergoing a transformation as a result of unprecedented pressures. Disruptive forces such as rapidly evolving technology, eroding financial support for public universities, proliferation of forprofit entities, changing expectations of students and employers, our country’s reckoning with its history of racism and white supremacy, as well as the politicization of higher education demand changes in systems hundreds of years old. The recent COVID epidemic has forced a radical change in the delivery of higher education – will we ever return to our old ways?" Daniel L. Clay, PhD, MBA Dean and Professor, College of Education, University of Iowa "One of the great challenges facing higher education today involves the changes that are necessary in the fundamental activities of teaching and learning to respond to changing social factors such as diversity, internationalization, the rapid evolution of technology, and unpredictable social needs (e.g., COVID 19). Brian Foster and his colleagues have assembled an important collection of papers on this subject, the future of teaching and learning at the higher education level, in part from an anthropological perspective, but also within the important context of our changing world. As such, the book provides a valuable insight into the perspectives that both faculty and their institutions need to address the changes in their most fundamental roles in providing teaching and learning for future generations." James J. Duderstadt President Emeritus, The University of Michigan

"Diversity and excellence in Higher Education seem to be conflicting concepts. Nevertheless, they are dynamic and closely intertwined -- indeed they may even require each other. The book brings together insights from ten different countries to analyse these multi-facetted phenomena and discuss how they may be reconciled within higher education. To set the overall context, it critically addresses markets and managerialism, whilst foregrounding the dangers of certain behavior that European countries are currently, though often unwisely, copying from the U.S. In a mass Higher Education system, the social basis of the student body diversifies – a fact that creates new challenges for planners and managers. The authors’ study of diversity concentrates particularly upon issues of equity and justice for students, addressing their life cycle transitions from school to higher education, degree completion, postgraduate education and employability. It also considers challenges posed by diversification at the institutional level, encompassing changes in management, leadership, governance and performance assessment. It addresses attempts to achieve excellence by selectivity, thereby contributing to the stratification of university systems; and it explores attempts to achieve excellence by merging smaller institutions to form larger entities. The book’s overall conclusion is that diversity and excellence are not necessarily enemies but relatives who cannot escape the bond between them. "