Sustainability and Communication in Higher Education

[EN] Sustainability Sciences need communication to communicate knowledge effectively and to engage audiences toward sustainable development. Therefore, the present study examines to what extent media and communication aspects are integrated into sustainability science's curricula of higher education institutions in Europe. For this purpose, a total of n=1117 bachelor and master's degree programs and their related curricula/program specifications from 31 European countries were analyzed by means of content analysis. Results show that the level of curricular integration of media and communication aspects in the field of sustainability science is not (yet) far advanced (18%). This leaves room for a reflection on the perceived (ir-)relevance of communication as a crucial discipline and competence in the sustainability science area, as well as on the social and educational responsibility of higher education institutions.Voci, D.; Karmasin, M. (2021). Sustainability and Communication in Higher Education. En 7th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'21). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 641-649. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd21.2021.12831OCS64164

Sexual Violence and Crisis Communication in Higher Education

In the modern landscape of higher education, Title IX and sexual violence prevention and response are increasingly important to universities. Unfortunately, too often university leaders respond retroactively and poorly to sexual violence on their campuses. Harris (2019) utilizes a unique approach to organizational communication theory to argue that institutions create a rape culture in a society that blames individuals, rather than organizations, for sexual misconduct. Bataille and Cordova (2014) complement this research with a collection of essays advising university leaders how to practice effective crisis communication. Together, these books create discourse around how sexual violence and communication are related to the responses of university leadership and the system of shared governance within higher education. University leaders need to confront their institutions’ participation in producing rape culture and educate themselves on how to perform effective crisis communication around sexual violence. &nbsp

Adults with Disabilities and The Accommodation Communication in Higher Education

This qualitative study describes the accommodation communication as it occurs between faculty in higher education and students with visible and invisible disabilities. Elements of an accommodation communication model are: (a) disclosure, (b) validation, (c) request, (d) responsibility, (e) timing, and (f) negotiation

Using text messaging to support administrative communication in higher education

To be effective in higher education, text messaging must be effectively integrated into both the student and staff experience. These user groups provided input into the design of StudyLink, an email to text message service. A small-scale trial was conducted over a period of two academic terms to investigate the feasibility of using this system in a real educational setting. Students reported high satisfaction with the quantity and content of the text messages and tutors reported changes in behaviour that were directly attributable to the use of text messaging. Administrative staff members were able to integrate this service into their current means of communicating with students, though there were some difficulties in composing appropriate text messages. Students were able to effectively receive and act on text messages, but ambiguities introduced with sending text messages were not resolved

An exploration of the potential of Automatic Speech Recognition to assist and enable receptive communication in higher education

The potential use of Automatic Speech Recognition to assist receptive communication is explored. The opportunities and challenges that this technology presents students and staff to provide captioning of speech online or in classrooms for deaf or hard of hearing students and assist blind, visually impaired or dyslexic learners to read and search learning material more readily by augmenting synthetic speech with natural recorded real speech is also discussed and evaluated. The automatic provision of online lecture notes, synchronised with speech, enables staff and students to focus on learning and teaching issues, while also benefiting learners unable to attend the lecture or who find it difficult or impossible to take notes at the same time as listening, watching and thinking

Lost in Communication in Higher Education

ArticleThe bureaucratic and academic nature of higher education institutions (HEIs), coupled with their complex organisational structures, extensive vertical hierarchies and large numbers of staff in need of communication, are believed to often hamper their internal communication processes. This is, to a great extent, also the case in the South African higher education arena. This article reports on a study that aimed to undertake research that would direct the development of a framework for improving internal communication at South African multi-campus universities. The framework would not only boast of features which are regarded as good practice by companies in the corporate sector, but also features based on the recommendations and suggestions of communication executives from seven multi-campus universities in South Africa. A mixed methods research design was employed. The research indicates that communication should be established as a core business value, and be advocated on all levels. The findings also suggest that management should be evaluated on their communication skills; regular monitoring of the effectiveness of communication at main and distance campuses should take place; whilst communication channels for feedback should be established. The internal communication framework outlined in the article may aid multi-campus universities to attain higher levels of excellence, which will subsequently result in greater business impact and more funding opportunities

Computer-mediated communication in higher education: an exploration of knowledge construction

Constructivist theories about knowledge construction emphasize that knowledge construction is more powerful and meaningful when it is actively built up by students through engaging in equilibrated exchanges and experiencing cognitive disequilibrium. From this perspective, knowledge construction is thought to be effective in learning environments where intense interactive discussions can take place, deeply held values are shared, and complex issues examined from multiple perspectives (Harasim, 1990). Computer-mediated communication, more specifically computer conferencing systems (CCS), has captured the interest of educators as an ideal tool to create this type of learning environment, featuring active, participative, and reflective learning;This study developed a conceptual framework, based on constructivist learning principles, to examine whether knowledge construction was promoted through computer conferencing in two graduate-level bioethics courses. Data collection focused on CCS transcripts, supplemented by student survey, instructor interviews, field notes, and course documentation. Knowledge construction through computer conferencing was examined from three main constructivist educational principles: (1) active participation---participation analysis was conducted to determine the nature of students\u27 participation in the learning process, (2) peer-to-peer interaction---content analysis for interaction types, intermessage reference analysis, and message map analysis for interaction patterns were conducted, and (3) cognitive conflict resolution---content analysis based on Gunawardena et al. (1997) interaction analysis model framework was conducted to examine whether cognitive conflicts experienced in CCS promoted knowledge construction;The findings of this study revealed that participation in the computer conferencing was moderate; interaction among students usually occurred through confirming or elaborating on the information/statement; and the predominance of computer conference transcripts reflected the first two phases of the knowledge construction process (i.e., sharing and comparing information, and exploration of dissonances among concepts and/or ideas);The results of this study suggest that CCS by itself does not guarantee knowledge construction. The instructor\u27s role in designing computer conferencing as a learning environment is crucial for fostering knowledge construction. This study provided insights into the nature of the knowledge construction process in a CCS environment and recommendations that help utilize computer conferencing technology in educational settings for students to construct knowledge more effectively

Using games for teaching crisis communication in higher education and training

© 2016 IEEE. Terror actions and catastrophes are frequently described in media. As more and more countries experience terror actions and natural disasters, there has been a greater focus on learning how to handle and to manage them. In Norway on the 22nd of July 2011, Anders Behring Breivik placed a bomb in a car that exploded near the Governmental Offices killing 8 persons. He went on to an island where there was a political camp for youths killing another 67. The rescue operations unveiled an unprepared task force. The Gjrv-report provide a massive critique towards the call out services [1]. This kicked off a major work on updating safety routines in all municipalities. The municipalities are now obliged to have a plan for crisis preparedness [2]. This again triggered the need for education within the area of crisis preparedness, crisis training and crisis management. Hedmark University of Applied Science now offers different study programs, including a BA within these areas. It is, however, very expensive to train realistically and the need for different approaches regarding training has been discussed. One of the solutions that the University is currently working on, is the use of games. Game based learning, also called 'serious games', has become an academic genre and using games for learning and training has proven fruitful [3-12]. In the military, games have been used for simulation purposes [13] and spin offs from these have also reached a commercial market [14, 15]. Using games in education opens up a range of opportunities. One of them is within the area of Crisis Communication. Crisis Communication as a curriculum is about how to approach the area of crisis communication, understanding the key concepts and develop skills within the curriculum. Games that support communication between the gamers can for instance contribute towards a greater understanding of communication in a crisis situation. What is needed to communicate and how messages are received, in order to support handling a crisis, are amongst the concrete learning objectives one can attribute towards this type of training. To use games to support the hands on training can thus provide the learners with valuable know how, and support their learning outcome. The learning from this will be beneficial to the organizations they work in as they will have an experience that will aid them in the work on planning for and preparing for crisis in their own organizations

Crafting the Message: The Complex Process Behind Presidential Communication in Higher Education

University presidents engage in formal and informal communicationthrough multiple modes of communication. While scholars have studied the content and motivations behind presidential communication, this study provides insight into the process that university presidents engage in when crafting public statements. Utilizing interviews with presidents (8) and vice-presidents of communication (4) at U.S. flagship universities, we employ the cognitive process writing theory to develop a process model of presidential communication,while highlighting how presidents describe their experiences crafting communication. Results highlight thepresident’sperception of theirroleas instigator of communication, the involvementof other senior leaders (e.g., legal counsel, chief of staff, etc.), andinsight into thecomplex process of creating presidential communications. Implications include the need for presidents to develop their own formal communication process, the importance of being intentional with who communicates, and the need to develop communication teams to craft messages