A Study of Faculty Members’ Perceptions of the Effect of the Globalization on Higher Education: The Case of Jordan

The purpose of study was to investigate Jordanian higher education faculty members’ perceptions of the phenomenon of globalization and its effect on higher education. The participants in this study were 6 faculty members from a Jordanian university. Four of the participants have leadership positions at the university. Two of them were deans, one of them was vice dean, and the fourth one was a head of department.  Semi-structured interviews were used as research method. The researchers formulated the interview questions based on the purpose of the research. Qualitative data analysis techniques were used to analyze participants’ responses.  Participants’ responses to the interview questions were organized, coded, interpreted, and represented. The findings showed that the Jordanian faculty members are aware of the effects of globalization on the fields of higher education. All the participants believed that globalization have positive effect on higher education. Most of the participants believed that the institutions of higher education should work on facing the negative impact of globalization on the national identity, culture, and heritage. Mixed results were found regarding the challenge of applying the principle of free market on the fields of higher education due to the globalization. Based on the findings, some of recommendations were presented. Keywords: Globalization, Faculty Perceptions, Jordanian Higher educatio

University Students Use of WhatsApp and their Perceptions Regarding its Possible Integration into their Education

The aim of this study was twofold: 1) to investigate first year university students’ use of WhatsApp for personal and educational purposes and 2) to examine their perceptions of the formal integration of WhatsApp into their education. A cross-sectional study design was followed in which 154 university students completed a questionnaire. The results showed that participants had access to smartphones and WhatsApp. The use of WhatsApp was common among participants. Students use WhatsApp for personal and social purposes on a daily basis. However, among the participants, the use of WhatsApp for educational purposes was limited. The participants perceived the integration of WhatsApp into their education to be easy, fun, and useful. They had positive feelings and intentions about using WhatsApp in their formal learning if it was introduced. But they were not sure about whether the use of WhatsApp in their education would be accepted by the wider community. Based on the findings, a set of recommendations is presented

The Effects of Age, Gender, and Major on Measures of Jordanian Students’ Attitudes towards Academic Group Learning in Computer Training Courses

The purpose of study was to investigate students’ attitudes towards academic group learning in computer training courses in education department at a university in Jordan as well as the effect of age, gender, and major on students’ attitudes towards academic group learning. The participants in this study were 183 undergraduate and graduate students who were enrolled in on-campus educational technology courses at a public Jordanian university over two semesters. Cross-sectional survey design was selected in the current study. The questionnaires, which were designed to measure students’ attitudes toward academic group learning, were distributed and collected at the end of the semesters. The analysis of students’ responses showed that the students had positive attitudes toward academic group learning. In addition, students’ attitudes towards academic group learning were not different accordance with students’ gender and age. However, students’ responses for one of the scales of their attitudes toward group learning   were different accordance with students’ major, where computer science and computer engineering students showed more favorable attitudes towards academic group learning compared to education students. The results were useful in providing faculty members empirical data regarding students’ preferred teaching methods that they can employ in their educational practice. Keywords: Group learning, Students’ Attitudes, Computer Training Courses