Service quality management and customer satisfaction in higher education: quality of services, customer satisfaction and customer behavioural intention in higher education

For the purpose of this project, a modified SERVQUAL instrument has been used to investigate undergraduate student perception of service quality at Cyprus College by determining if gaps existed in student expectation versus the perception of the actual experiences. The researcher acquired answers for five research questions designed to determine the relationship between service quality, student satisfaction, student behavioural intention, and certain demographic variables (gender, nationality, and number of years at the college). The population consisted of 1,398 students, which represented the fall 2006 semester enrolment. A cluster sampling methodology was used for the selection of 434 respondents. The researcher has tested the reliability and internal consistency of the survey instrument and it was found to be reliable and have adequate internal consistency. The Cronbach's total alpha was .919. Each research question was analysed individually usmg descriptive data for expectation, perceptions, and gap scores. The results of the survey indicated that there was a wide gap between student's perceived performance and expectations in twenty out of the twenty-two measured items. The most problematic dimension appears to be the Empathy and the least problematic the Tangible dimension. The researcher found that gender, nationality and number of years at Cyprus College are of a little value in predicting student's evaluation of service quality. There were, however, statistical and practical significance found in the ANOV As for each dependent variable. In addition, the researcher has found that respondents, who stated that overall the quality of service is good or very good, appeared to be satisfied or very satisfied with Cyprus College. The same group of respondents appeared also to be more willing than the rest of the respondents to say positive things about the college and less willing to complain if they experience a problem. The findings were discussed among the academic and administration leaders of the college and a set of actions were decided and some have been implemented including service related procedural changes, employee motivation and training, and the establishment of a system of continuous assessment. The results that emerged from the study and the discussions can be useful for other institutions which are concerned about their own quality practices

Positioning of USO-Built joint graduate research school

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Exploring the practical use of a collaborative robot for academic purposes

This article presents a set of experiences related to the setup and exploration of potential educational uses of a collaborative robot (cobot). The basic principles that have guided the work carried out have been three. First and foremost, study of all the functionalities offered by the robot and exploration of its potential academic uses both in subjects focused on industrial robotics and in subjects of related disciplines (automation, communications, computer vision). Second, achieve the total integration of the cobot at the laboratory, seeking not only independent uses of it but also seeking for applications (laboratory practices) in which the cobot interacts with some of the other devices already existing at the laboratory (other industrial robots and a flexible manufacturing system). Third, reuse of some available components and minimization of the number and associated cost of required new components. The experiences, carried out following a project-based learning methodology under the framework of bachelor and master subjects and thesis, have focused on the integration of mechanical, electronic and programming aspects in new design solutions (end effector, cooperative workspace, artificial vision system integration) and case studies (advanced task programming, cybersecure communication, remote access). These experiences have consolidated the students' acquisition of skills in the transition to professional life by having the close collaboration of the university faculty with the experts of the robotics company.Postprint (published version

Challenges for engineering students working with authentic complex problems

Engineers are important participants in solving societal, environmental and technical problems. However, due to an increasing complexity in relation to these problems new interdisciplinary competences are needed in engineering. Instead of students working with monodisciplinary problems, a situation where students work with authentic complex problems in interdisciplinary teams together with a company may scaffold development of new competences. The question is: What are the challenges for students structuring the work on authentic interdisciplinary problems? This study explores a three-day event where 7 students from Aalborg University (AAU) from four different faculties and one student from University College North Denmark (UCN), (6th-10th semester), worked in two groups at a large Danish company, solving authentic complex problems. The event was structured as a Hackathon where the students for three days worked with problem identification, problem analysis and finalizing with a pitch competition presenting their findings. During the event the students had workshops to support the work and they had the opportunity to use employees from the company as facilitators. It was an extracurricular activity during the summer holiday season. The methodology used for data collection was qualitative both in terms of observations and participants’ reflection reports. The students were observed during the whole event. Findings from this part of a larger study indicated, that students experience inability to transfer and transform project competences from their previous disciplinary experiences to an interdisciplinary setting