bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Higher education demand estimation & prediction by 2025 in Iran
Authors: Ghavidel Saleh , Jahani Tahereh 
Published: September 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to predict the number of undergraduate applicants for the National Entrance Examination in Iran during 2012-2025 periods and to identity the factors affecting the demand for higher education in Iran.Design/methodology/approach– In this paper, the method of cohort, participation rate, structural regression and time series econometric models have been used. In the present study, it has been predicted by using four methods mentioned and at the next step, in addition to identifying effective factors, the results given from these four methods have been compared with each other. Furthermore, the most important factors influencing university enrollment decision have been identified by econometric method.Findings– The results of estimating the number of the criteria applicants, show that the tendency to pursue studies is different between males and females. Therefore, their structural models differ from each other. The results of forecast in structural method support the high effectiveness of economic growth index. Most predictions are often confirmed the reduction in the number of applicants during the 2012-2025 period, especially for men.Social implications– This paper can be helpful in opening up a discourse around cross-cultural elements in higher education demands and planning for higher education.Originality/value– It’s important to forecast the demand for higher education using different methods, and to compare the results for specific countries.
Cluster analysis and persistence in college majors
Authors: Quinn John T. , Olinsky Alan D. , Schumacher Phyllis A. , Smith Richard M. 
Published: September 2015

Purpose
– The Bryant University Mathematics Department has been collecting math placement scores and admissions data for all incoming freshmen for many years. In the past, the authors have used these data mainly for placement in first-year classes and more recently to invite the most mathematically talented students to become mathematics majors. The purpose of this paper is to use the same data source to predict persistence in declared majors for all incoming students.

Design/methodology/approach
– In order to categorize the students, the authors use cluster analysis, one of the tools of data mining, to see if students in particular majors share similar strengths based on the available data. The authors follow up this analysis by running a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to confirm that the means of the clusters are significantly different.

Findings
– The cluster analysis resulted in five distinct clusters, which were confirmed by the results of the MANOVA. The authors also found how many students in each cluster persisted in their chosen major.

Originality/value
– These results will help to improve counseling and proper placement of incoming freshmen. They will also be helpful in long-range planning of upper-level courses. Retention of students in their majors is an important concern for colleges and universities as it relates to planning issues, such as scheduling classes, particularly for upper classmen. This could also affect departmental requirements, such as the size of the faculty.
Effectiveness of instructor-led collaborative learning in the classroom
Authors: Strang Kenneth David 
Published: September 2015

Purpose
– Collaborative learning was examined as a pedagogy to determine if students could improve standardized exam scores when the professor led the sessions in class. The purpose of this paper is to design a quasi-experiment to test the predictive ability of this pedagogy using a randomly allocated treatment vs control group. An externally administered standardized exam was used as the instrument.

Design/methodology/approach
– A post-positivist ideology was employed, quantitative data were collected from standardized exit exams scores and from the experiment factors. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis along with a General Linear Model (GLM) ANCOVA were applied to test the hypothesis at the 95 percent confidence level.

Findings
– A statistically significant model was developed using multiple regression in a Generalized Linear Model. The regression model developed in this study was able to capture 51 percent of variance on the exam score, using four predictors were (in order of importance): SAT, pedagogy, GPA, and gender.

Research limitations/implications
– The GLM regression model proved that collaborative learning as pedagogy could increase standardized exam scores, since the only variation between the treatment vs control group was the pedagogy. Prior ability was still the most influential factor in the model, but when it was controlled for, pedagogy (collaborative learning) was shown to help students in the test group make a significant increase in exam score.

Practical implications
– Business schools and other disciplines could apply the collaborative learning as a pedagogy to help students increase high-stakes exam scores, regardless of their gender, age, or prior ability. Several ideas were mentioned for replacing existing high-stakes exams.

Originality/value
– A high degree of experimental control was imposed and the common predictors identified in the literature were tested to control for confounding influences. The researcher reflected on what really worked as techniques within the collaborative learning pedagogy process.
Graduate school supervisees’ relationships with their academic mentors
Authors: Malik Shahab Alam , Malik Shujah Alam 
Published: September 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to observe different aspects of working relationships between supervisees/mentees with their academic supervisors/mentors from the mentees’ perspective. Respondents were asked about networking, instrumental, psychological help received from their mentors and their working relationships with their mentors.Design/methodology/approach– A descriptive study was carried out in the COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, a public university of Pakistan. Data were collected from its main campus of Islamabad only, the capital of Pakistan. Respondents were Master of Science (MS) and PhD level students actively engaged in research projects/theses with their mentors. A final sample of 104 respondents was used for data analysis, comprising of 65 MS and 39 PhD students, from six departments offering graduate programs. Descriptive analysis was mainly used here to observe mean differences (ANOVA) based on control variables of supervisees gender, academic program, supervisor designation, gender and selection.Findings– Major significant mean scores differences were observed between supervisees who selected supervisors themselves and those who were assigned supervisors by the concerned department. In academic programs (MS vs PhD), some significant differences in instrumental and psychological help were observed, whereas no significant differences were found on gender basis (both supervisees and supervisors), supervisor designation and supervisees’ category (full-time, part-time and faculty on leave).Originality/value– This study endeavored to observe relationships between supervisees and their supervisors in an academic environment using descriptive analysis. No such particular research in literature has been made earlier on national level and thus this study tries to fill that gap. This research’s outcomes can be useful to all the concerned parties i.e. the mentor, supervisees and the graduate school. Mentors can assess how supervisees rate the supervision style and contribution. Supervisees can benefit from the experiences of their fellows and the graduate schools can assess which aspects of relationship matter most to the supervisees at different levels.
Developing a culture of publication: a joint enterprise writing retreat
Authors: Garside Joanne , Bailey Rowan , Tyas Moira , Ormrod Graham , Stone Graham , Topping Annie , Gillibrand Warren Peter 
Published: September 2015

Purpose
– Many students irrespective of level of study produce excellent course work which, if given support and encouragement, could clearly be of a publishable standard. Academic staff are expected to produce quality publications meeting peer-review standards although they may be relatively novice authors. All are engaged in some aspects of academic writing practices but not as frequently involved in co-production of publications emanating from student work. This activity is still at the margins of much of the student experience. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach
– Mindful of these issues, the authors designed and offered a writing programme including a writing retreat. This brought together undergraduate and postgraduate students from a range of applied disciplines (health and art, design and architecture) and their supervisors with the aim of co-producing publications and participating in a community of scholarly practice. The project was delivered over nine months. It involved four days “compulsory” attendance and included a preparatory workshop, a two day off-campus writing retreat and a dissemination event. Student and supervisors applied to participate as a team. Kirkpatrick’s (2006) four-stage classic model: reaction, learning, changes in behaviour and real world results was used as a framework for the educational evaluation.

Findings
– Key findings organised thematically were: supervisor-supervisee relationships; space and time; building confidence enabling successful writing and publication.

Originality/value
– This paper will provide an overview of the design, content and approaches used for successful delivery of this innovative project. It will draw on examples that illustrate the different types of joint enterprise that emerged, illuminate experiences of co-production and co-authorship along with recommendations for future ventures.
Post high school education choices in Italy: an empirical analysis
Authors: Gaeta Giuseppe Lucio , Di Maio Amedeo 
Published: September 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to empirically analyze individual level determinants of Italian secondary school graduates’ educational choices.Design/methodology/approach– The authors rely on data provided by a large survey carried out by the Italian National Institute of Statistics. While previous contributions specifically focus on individual determinants of university enrollment, the authors model graduates’ choice as emerging from a comparison of three alternative options: stop studying in order to enter the job market, continue studying at University and attend a post-secondary professional course. Therefore the multinomial logit estimates enable to define the profiles of high school graduates making different post-secondary educational choices.Findings– On the one hand, the authors find that having a good family background, with highly educated parents who hold prestigious professional positions, is associated to a preference for enrollment at university rather than stopping studying. This correlation is both direct and through the choice of academic-oriented secondary school track. On the other hand, the choice of attending professional courses rather than stopping studying seems to arise mainly from the type of secondary school track attended even if some family background characteristics influence the probability of stop studying instead of attending a professional course. Overall the results show that family background significantly affects post-secondary educational choices.Originality/value– This paper is different from previous contributions because – more realistically – considers the Italian secondary school graduates as having three alternative options available: put themselves on the job market, continue studying at university or enroll on professional course.
Successful bottom-up faculty collaboration during institutional change
Authors: Ward Hsuying C. , Lu Ming-Tsan P. , O'Connor Brendan H. , Overton Terry 
Published: September 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to outline findings from practitioner research with a university faculty learning community (FLC) that organized itself to effect bottom-up change. The study explores beliefs about the efficacy of collaboration among members of the FLC and serves as a best case of grassroots faculty collaboration during a period of institutional change.Design/methodology/approach– This is a case study using semi-structured interviews with FLC members and document review of short-term learning data from students who participated in workshops offered by the FLC.Findings– Creative faculty responses to challenges posed by large-scale institutional transformation improved the teaching and learning environment for faculty and students. This case study highlights four characteristics that were crucial to the success of this FLC and which could provide a helpful starting point for faculty collaboration at other institutions.Research limitations/implications– This is a preliminary, self-reflective study with a small number of participants working at a unique institution. Findings are presented not as strictly generalizable truths about faculty collaboration in higher education, but as “lessons learned” that may be valuable to other faculty seeking to take a more proactive role in contexts of institutional change.Practical implications– This case study highlights four characteristics that were crucial to the success of this FLC and which could provide a helpful starting point for faculty collaboration at other institutions.Social implications– This study illustrates how bottom-up, faculty-led collaboration can address institutional problems in a university setting. Creative faculty responses to challenges posed by large-scale institutional transformation can improve the teaching and learning environment for faculty and students.Originality/value– This study documents one FLC’s innovative responses to institutional challenges and shifts the conversation about university-based teaching and learning away from bureaucratic mandates related to faculty interactions and productivity and toward faculty’s organic responses to changing institutional conditions.
Students’ preconception due to former students’ feedback about the difficulty of an undergraduate engineering course
Authors: Salih Alj Yassine 
Published: September 2015

Purpose
– Most university students, if not all, develop a preconception about any academic course before taking it. This preconception undeniably affects students’ performance by influencing their motivation. As a result, learning can be minimized. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the evolution of students’ preconception about the difficulty of an engineering course – taught by the same instructor – for a period of seven semesters by analyzing the results of survey questionnaire completed at the beginning of every semester. This approach allows the instructor to assess students’ preconception that is built by former students’ feedback and hence control the impact on students’ motivation which influences their learning performance.

Design/methodology/approach
– By analyzing the surveys’ results, the instructor gets a close idea about how the course is perceived. When students harbor misconceptions that constitute difficult barriers to learning, it becomes necessary to take action like adjusting the way of teaching the corresponding course’s content, or ultimately changing the course instructor for a couple of semesters.

Findings
– The adopted survey-based strategy implicitly helps the instructor to correct inaccurate preconceptions before they become crystallized misconceptions, while in case of a very positive preconception, one can continue to enhance the course level with even more challenging evaluations (e.g. exams). However, in case of a persistent misconception, a midterm survey would further help the instructor to better adjust the way the course is taught by objectively considering the obtained inputs from a considered C/D/S set (i.e. continue doing what was helpful/do start doing what would be beneficial/stop doing what is not working).

Originality/value
– To the best of the author’s knowledge, no study has investigated the evolution of – or at least – students’ preconception built by former students’ feedback about the difficulty of a course despite its direct influence on students’ motivation and hence on students’ performance, thus filling an important gap in the literature. Indeed, one general positive aspect of students’ preconception research is the attention it has brought regarding the absolute necessity for teachers and researchers to be well grounded in both content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge.
Living Lab as knowledge system: an actual approach for managing urban service projects?
Authors: Lehmann Valerie , Frangioni Marina , Dubé Patrick 
Published: September 2015

Purpose– This paper aims to explore Living Labs (LL) as knowledge systems for urban service projects. This empirical study aims to identify and characterize knowledge in LL dedicated to urban service projects. It also aims to understand how through knowledge path, LL redefine the management of projects. First, the praxeologic and academic context underlining the main challenges associated to urban service projects is presented. It mainly concerns the growth of the cities (Haouès-Jouve, 2013), the problematic of social acceptability (Savard, 2013) as well as the normative approaches to manage projects (Kerzner, 2010). Second, a literature review on co-innovation and Livings Labs is presented. (Chesbrough, 2004; Gaglio, 2011). This paper also presents the concept of knowledge applied in an LL system (Sanders and Stappers, 2008). Here, knowledge refers to dynamic knowledge, as suggested by Argyris (1995).Design/methodology/approach– In the third part, the goals of this study as well as the abductive and “partnership” qualitative methodology that was used are explained (Fontan and René, 2014). The constitutive and the operational definitions on knowledge that have been mobilized are detailed (Piaget, 1974; Gadille, 2012). A special focus is made, here, on distributed knowledge (Nowotnyet al., 2002; Trepos, 1996), on “users” as “experts of uses” (Chenet al., 2010). Then, the sample and the four cases of LL that were explored are described.Findings– Finally, the findings are presented. This paper exposed how knowledge lying in the loops of the LL system was characterized and how knowledge is mobilized in an LL. This paper also draws a theoretical model of project management referring to knowledge, LL and co-innovation approach.Research limitations/implications– To conclude, several implications in project management research and urban studies are presented.Practical implications– Several implications concern the current practices of project management. Due to some new societal challenges, it is considered that a new professional posture is required.Social implications– Several implications concern citizens as users and stakeholders of urban projects.Originality/value– The originality of the study lies in its content and its format. A specific participative approach was used to explore LL. This paper investigated knowledge in LL, which are new entities dedicated to very actual projects, where users are co-managers.
A photometric stereo approach for chronic wound measurement
Authors: Sun Jiuai , Xu Xiaoping , Farooq Abdul Rehman , Smith Lyndon Neal , Smith Melvyn Lionel 
Published: September 2015

Purpose
– This paper aims to review state of the art of techniques for dimensioning chronic wounds, and validate the possibilities of employing a new proposed optical imaging approach for general task of wound assessment.

Design/methodology/approach
– Current techniques used for quantifying wound surface are reviewed and evaluated from various perspectives to exam their usability in wound care clinical settings. A photometric stereo (PS) approach will be identified and verified to work as an alternative solution to better satisfy practical requirements on quantifying the dimension of real and mocked wounds.

Findings
– Both contact and contactless approaches provide some useful functions for wound management; however, new imaging modalities are still required for achieving good portability, affordability and applicability in assisting decision-making in clinical settings. The PS approach can work as a potential solution to provide these functionalities as well as dense geometrical and color texture information of measured areas. The experiments demonstrate that the new approach is able to conveniently produce comparable results to those from latest stereo vision-based techniques.

Research limitations/implications
– This work proposed and initially verified the potential of PS technique for the task of wound measurement. Substantial improvements on the prototype and more clinical trials are still required to validate the new technique before it is accepted as a tool for practical wound measurement.

Originality/value
– This new PS approach has good potential to reliably measure the dimension of wounds as well as recover their color texture which could contain additional valuable information for predicting a healing procedure for those wound occurring deeper underneath the skin surface.
New approaches for improving selectivity and sensitivity of resistive gas sensors: a review
Authors: Smulko Janusz Marek , Trawka Maciej , Granqvist Claes Goran , Ionescu Radu , Annanouch Fatima , Llobet Eduard , Kish Laszlo Bela 
Published: September 2015

Purpose
– This paper aims to present the methods of improving selectivity and sensitivity of resistance gas sensors.

Design/methodology/approach
– This paper compares various methods of improving gas sensing by temperature modulation, UV irradiation or fluctuation-enhanced sensing. The authors analyze low-frequency resistance fluctuations in commercial Taguchi gas sensors and the recently developed tungsten trioxide (WO3) gas-sensing layers, exhibiting a photo-catalytic effect.

Findings
– The efficiency of using low-frequency fluctuations to improve gas detection selectivity and sensitivity was confirmed by numerous experimental studies in commercial and prototype gas sensors.

Research limitations/implications
– A more advanced measurement setup is required to record noise data but it will reduce the number of gas sensors necessary for identifying the investigated gas mixtures.

Practical implications
– Fluctuation-enhanced sensing can reduce the energy consumption of gas detection systems and assures better detection results.

Originality/value
– A thorough comparison of various gas sensing methods in resistance gas sensors is presented and supported by exemplary practical applications.