Educational Innovation and Practice https://eip.sce.edu.bt/index.php/eip <p>EIP is an open access and peer reviewed research journal of Samtse College of Education, Royal University of Bhutan, published annually online. The journal publishes original research papers, review articles and short communications of interdisciplinary content in natural and social sciences.</p> en-US eip.sce@rub.edu.bt (Editor-In-Chief) narayan.sce@rub.edu.bt (Mr Narayan) Tue, 31 Dec 2024 08:00:56 +0000 OJS 3.3.0.11 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 60 Incompatible with Happiness: Results from Second Survey of Bullying and Discrimination Experiences of Bhutanese Higher Education Students https://eip.sce.edu.bt/index.php/eip/article/view/187 <p>Bhutan is known to the outside world as a nation with Gross National Happiness (GNH) as its goal, a concept which is fundamentally underpinned by Buddhist philosophy of loving-kindness, compassion, emphatic joy, and equanimity. In Buddhism these are referred to as the four immeasurable qualities that one must cultivate to become kind, compassionate, and caring towards all living beings, and ultimately generates happiness. This concept as applied should lead to minimal or no instances of bullying and discrimination in such a society and in particular in educational institutions. However, prior studies as well as media reports have shown that there are growing instances of bullying and discrimination amongst both school and higher education students, and staff which is a cause of concern for a GNH nation. Such school experiences are likely to be transferred to higher education institutions and then later to the work places. Bullying and discrimination are often associated with negative outcomes and impacts overall mental well-being of students which can be detrimental to their later life. Therefore, this quantitative study was designed to understand the current level of bullying and discrimination amongst students (N= &lt;10,000) of higher education institutions (n= 15) in Bhutan through a self-administered on-line survey to a representative sample of 1652 (male= 41.3%; female= 57.7% &amp; others= 1%). Essentially, the reported prevalence of being bullied reduced (from about 45% in 2016 to about 36% in 2023), and likewise the reported prevalence of bullying others declined (from 18% to about 10%). There was also a slight reduction for those reporting some form of discrimination; from 51% from 46%. The preliminary findings from the study will provide insights into the current state of bullying and discrimination prevalent in the higher education institutions and make a case for more effective interventions to reduce prevalence of bullying and discrimination in schools and colleges, and, more broadly, the community.</p> Kezang Sherab, Kezang Choden, John Howard Copyright (c) 2024 Kezang Sherab, Kezang Choden, John Howard https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 https://eip.sce.edu.bt/index.php/eip/article/view/187 Wed, 10 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Professional Development in Higher Education: Experiences from Royal Thimphu College https://eip.sce.edu.bt/index.php/eip/article/view/190 <p>This study explored the satisfaction and effectiveness of professional development (PD) programmes offered by the Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL) for tutors at Royal Thimphu College (RTC) and to identify areas for improvement. A mixed research methodology was employed, incorporating a self-assessment survey, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions among tutors. Data collected were categorised into participation and satisfaction, training impact, and future needs. Secondary data such as student consultative meeting minutes and feedback from 2022 PDs were also utilised. In 2022, 16 trainings, 4 seminars, 2 experience-sharing sessions, and 1 cycle of peer observation partnership on teaching and learning were provided. Seventy-three out of 96 tutors participated in two or more CITL programmes. Overall, a mean score of 3.34 was reported on a 4-point Likert scale for satisfaction. The most useful PDs encompassed classroom management, constructive alignment, Bloom's Taxonomy and Blueprint, lesson planning, and giving and receiving feedback. The impact of these training programmes varied, depending on the tutor's education level and experience. Tutors with master's degrees and less than five years of teaching experience reported higher levels of impact. Future needs included training on teaching practical modules, effective technology use, giving and receiving feedback, and data analysis skills. Emergent themes included tutors struggling to find time for CITL programmes and desiring work-life balance. Recommendations are suggested to address these needs, advocating for iterative PDs, additional support for new tutors, and further studies on work-life balance among academicians.</p> Kencho Pelzom, Chimi Yuden Copyright (c) 2024 Kencho Pelzom, Chimi Yuden https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 https://eip.sce.edu.bt/index.php/eip/article/view/190 Wed, 10 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Impact of Project-Based Learning on Computer Science Education https://eip.sce.edu.bt/index.php/eip/article/view/191 <p>Project-based learning (PBL) has gained prominence as an effective approach to fostering autonomous learning in Computer Science education. This study investigated the impact of PBL on student learning experiences, involving 169 participants. Data collection employed a closed-ended questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative analysis, utilising descriptive and inferential statistics, revealed strong student performance in the Analysis, Planning, Design, and Communication and Presentation phases. However, challenges were noted in the Development and Testing phases, with Project 3 (PRJ303) students exhibiting significantly better performance than Project 1 (PRJ101) and Project 2 (PRJ202) peers.<br>Qualitative analysis of interview data unveiled key themes, including independent learning, team dynamics, guide relationships, real-life project experiences, output orientation, and challenges associated with project-based learning. Despite challenges such as time constraints and team complexities, the study underscores the myriad benefits of PBL, ranging from real-world application and critical thinking development to collaboration and independent learning.<br>The findings advocate for the integration of PBL in university curricula, emphasising the cultivation of skills such as independent learning, teamwork, mentorship, experiential learning, and project management. The positive outcomes observed in students' learning and skill development outweigh the challenges, making a compelling case for the widespread adoption of PBL in Computer Science education.</p> Chimi Dema, Ugyen Choden Copyright (c) 2024 Chimi Dema, Ugyen Choden https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 https://eip.sce.edu.bt/index.php/eip/article/view/191 Wed, 10 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Tutor Quality, Facilitating Conditions, and Perceived Usefulness as Predictors of Pre-service Teachers’ Satisfaction in an E-learning Environment https://eip.sce.edu.bt/index.php/eip/article/view/eip <p>Student satisfaction is one of the components used to measure the success and effectiveness of e-learning. This study examined the determinants resulting in pre-service teachers' satisfaction in an e-learning environment. Using structural equation modelling, student satisfaction was assigned as the endogenous variable, while tutor quality, perceived usefulness, and facilitating condition were the exogenous variables. Similarly, the construct was tested for its mediation effect towards student satisfaction from teacher quality and facilitating conditions, respectively. A total of (n=471) pre-service teachers enrolled in one of the colleges of education in Bhutan voluntarily responded to the survey questionnaire that followed a cross-sectional design. The results of the structural equation analyses indicated that student satisfaction was significantly determined by its antecedents, with tutor quality and facilitating conditions taken together resulting in an R2 of 0.82. Moreover, it was observed that tutor quality and facilitating conditions exerted a positive direct effect on the satisfaction dimension. The results also revealed that perceived usefulness has a statistically positive mediated effect on student satisfaction through tutor quality and facilitating conditions. The model proposed and tested in this study demonstrates that the tutor quality, facilitating conditions, and perceived usefulness can measure the e-learning satisfaction of students. The findings of this research may be helpful for administrators, policy planners and practitioners in the field of e-learning development to identify the elements that affect student satisfaction and further strengthen the existing e-learning programmes, particularly in developing Asian countries.</p> Sonam Dhendup Copyright (c) 2024 Sonam Dhendup https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 https://eip.sce.edu.bt/index.php/eip/article/view/eip Wed, 10 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000 University Students’ Perspective on ChatGPT and Technology Literacies https://eip.sce.edu.bt/index.php/eip/article/view/193 <p>In recent years, technologies utilising artificial intelligence have gained popularity. It is common for college students to use ChatGPT when writing academic assignments. Considering the importance of technology literacy in adopting ChatGPT in academic writing, this study explored how Chatbot was used by college students in Bhutan in relation to Privacy literacy, Data literacy, Information literacy, and Technology adoption (Chatbot). Using a cross-sectional survey, the data for this study was collected using an online survey and 290 students responded. Analyses were mainly quantitative. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were reported. The findings of Mann-Whitney U test suggests that male students used more technology compared to their female counterparts and statistically significant differences were found on technological adoption between the genders. However, the results of Kruskal-Wallis H test revealed that there was no statistically significant difference across four age levels. Furthermore, results of path analyses showed significant direct relationship from Data literacy to Technology adoption (Chatbot). However, no empirical support was found for Information literacy and Privacy literacy. Taken together, the findings of this study have significance to the students, lecturers, and policy planners of the Royal University of Bhutan.</p> Tashi Dawa, Sonam Dhendup, Sonam Tashi, Mark A Rosso Copyright (c) 2024 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 https://eip.sce.edu.bt/index.php/eip/article/view/193 Wed, 10 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000