This article introduces a framework for transforming Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) through Heterotopic Affinity Spaces (HAS). Our model suggests HAS can shift traditional power dynamics by enhancing learner agency. Drawing on studies of affinity spaces and heterotopias, we present these spaces as free from the restrictions of formal…

There is little consensus about the nature of teachers' digital competencies in Higher Education. Moreover, existing digital competence frameworks have largely been developed for teachers in secondary education. In response to this, the current study focuses on developing and validating a framework of digital competencies for teachers in Higher…

Background: Micro-credentials are increasingly considered a key mechanism through which to empower learners by enabling flexible upskilling and reskilling. Despite their apparent importance for higher education institutions (HEIs) and learners, empirical research is limited. More needs to be understood, particularly about the ways in which…

Oral folklore tradition is a unique phenomenon in West Borneo. This study aims to gain the lecturer's perspectives and reflection toward its implementation as a project-based activity for encouraging university students to transform local folklore into texts in English. It combines Finnegan's instructional procedure, and Gordon's synectic model…

Semi-structured interviews with 22 faculty at a fronterizx HSI located at the U.S.-Mexico border revealed the ways faculty perceive, enact, and engage with servingness practice. Findings provide critical insights into the relationship between servingness and faculty as empowerment agents through three culturally relevant themes:…

Creating a socially just pedagogy from a grassroots level could help address issues of educational injustice. This paper focuses on the creation of the student voice for social justice (SVSJ) pedagogical method that is based on Nancy Fraser's political social justice framework. The resulting approach, developed through participatory action…

As university teachers of literature, we tend to accept the rhetoric that students lack the capacity to interpret texts meaningfully, without questioning our own biases about the kinds of meaning we expect them to elicit from texts. Often, these are meanings that have little relevance to students' own social or professional lives. In this article,…

Social justice in education can be understood as empowering students to participate meaningfully in their education on par with peers. Participation amongst students in higher education classrooms is becoming a concern because of increased globalisation and local student diversity. In this work, Nancy Fraser's three-dimensional framework of social…

The intentional scaffolding of research practices and experiences across a 4-year curriculum provides a developmental and sustainable model to guide students to greater independence and ownership of their learning and offers a supportive framework for advancing equity of opportunity and outcomes. Curricular transformation can be a daunting…

The modern college instructor in the United States faces several unique dilemmas due to students' increased access to information via the internet and social media, increased polarization across the nation, and increased unrest resulting in more experiences impacting mental health. As such, modern instructors are faced with the challenge of…

Research demonstrates that attempts to improve the quality of education in higher education institutions (HEIs) through external quality assurance (EQA) systems have not always produced the expected results due to the complex nature of education and scepticism regarding the applicability of EQA systems to education. It frequently resulted in…

Administrators are viewed as the leaders in higher education. However, accepting exceptional educators as relational leaders is vital as changes in higher education demand institutions provide value and quality to their stakeholders. Exceptional educators at our land-grant Midwestern university are nominated and awarded the title of Morrill…

This dissertation investigated how expansive framing can foster an inclusive and empowering learning environment for minoritized students in first-year seminars that focus on composition. This paper is especially important for those who teach and support minoritized students who often face crises of faith about belonging at primarily white…

OER-enabled pedagogy, one form of open pedagogy, is gaining popularity as a method for increasing student engagement and motivation. Realising the potential of this approach, however, depends on faculty implementation and reducing resistance to change. This study explores the experience of instructors during their first and second courses when…

This study examines motivational factors based on college students' and faculties' perceptions to determine which factors are most impactful. The researchers utilized Jones' MUSIC® Model of Motivation College Student and Professor inventories. Both are designed to determine the factors that impact student motivation (Jones, 2020). The Caring…