Assessing university students' perception of academic quality using machine learning

Abstract

PurposeThe aim of this research is to assess the influence of the underlying service quality variable, usually related to university students' perception of the educational experience. Another aspect analysed in this work is the development of a procedure to determine which variables are more significant to assess students' satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachIn order to achieve both goals, a twofold methodology was approached. In the first phase of research, an assessment of the service quality was performed with data gathered from 580 students in a process involving the adaptation of the SERVQUAL scale through a multi-objective optimization methodology. In the second phase of research, results obtained from students were compared with those obtained from the teaching staff at the university.FindingsResults from the analysis revealed the most significant service quality dimensions from the students' viewpoint according to the scores that they provided. Comparison of the results with the teaching staff showed noticeable differences when assessing academic quality.Originality/valueSignificant conclusions can be drawn from the theoretical review of the empirical evidences obtained through this study helping with the practical design and implementation of quality strategies in higher education especially in regard to university education.

Forecasting Gender in Open Education Competencies: A Machine Learning Approach

“…Salas-Rueda's research has made notable contributions in the areas of student's perceptions of the flipped classroom methodology, blended learning, and the use of social networks [42], [43], [43]. Additional related works have explored the application of machine learning in perception like self-regulated learning [44], the challenges and potentials of artificial intelligence in the educational process [45], the perception of emotional competence in job performance [46], and the assessment of academic quality [47]. The application of machine learning in various aspects of education, including predicting learning performance, exploring different teaching methodologies, and studying perception, has demonstrated its potential to improve educational systems and enhance students' learning experiences.…”

Library Service Quality and Users’ Satisfaction: A Correlational Study among UiTM Puncak Perdana Students

“…With this research framework, responsiveness is an independent variable that can help figure out how satisfied users are with how willing the librarian is to help them. According to Guillén Perales et al (2020), determinants of responsiveness include the desire to serve students and the readiness to provide effective learning solutions. To give library users the best service possible, the library's management should try to hire people who are willing to help and serve not only library users but also library staff.…”

“…Also, if they want to keep the academic library's dignity, they need to care about their users' needs and help them. Guillén Perales et al (2020) agreed that responsiveness is affected by things like wanting to help students and being ready to give them the right answers about their learning process. In addition, Farooq et al (2019) agreed that the librarians' role has grown in helping students and scholars find information from reliable journals, books, and other online sources.…”

“…Another SERVQUAL dimension that has been modified is empathy, which measures the librarian's ability to be approached by their users. Empathy is defined as the ability to communicate with sympathy and provide individualized attention in order to make classes more engaging while developing a receptive attitude that aids in adequate student comprehension and improved participation (Guillén Perales et al, 2020). Most library users hope that librarians can assist them, particularly when they can immediately answer users' questions via Live Chat, guide users in searching for reliable information, and clear out users' late fee payments for their convocation day.…”

“…Reliability determinants indicate the actual capacity to fully meet expectations regarding certain proposed and delivered services through the content organization, well-defined suggested criteria, and class preparation (Guillén Perales et al, 2020). For hundreds of years, libraries have been the best places to learn new skills and understand complicated things.…”