In modern conditions of educational services, the problem of managing the quality of training of specialists is becoming increasingly important. An important direction in this area is the determination of student satisfaction in various aspects of the activity. This allows one to identify the weaknesses of the system and purposefully implement measures to improve them. In this vein, the resource provides a significant opportunity to get acquainted with student surveys in various areas over an impressive period of time.
Successful involvement in the educational process of students and their educational achievements largely depends on the predisposition of young people to a particular field of activity. It is obvious that students are satisfied with a good, quality, and effective education. There are different criteria for evaluating education, which is formed in a broad social context. They correspond with such a requirement as the correspondence of education to the economic, social, and cultural trends in the development of society.
However, student satisfaction with the education received is a special evaluation criterion. It is highly subjective, and the social well-being of students in universities and colleges and the achievement of academic and social success by students depend on it. In this context, only direct and regular student surveys can shed light on the mentioned subjective factor. The site makes it possible to examine statistical and qualitative data from such surveys conducted by HERI (Higher Education Research Institute, n.d.).
Infographics
Another significant feature inherent to HERIās web portal is the availability of infographics that contain information from the mentioned surveys in brief. To create infographics, information should be translated into a useful visual form, brief but precise language should be written, and statistics should be gathered. According to studies, visual cues help people recall information better.
This is a good approach to dealing with vast amounts of data that HERI provides for the general audience. Educators have the opportunity to look through the information quickly. After this, they can easily turn to the research to which a specific infographic is dedicated. What is more, infographics are ideal for delivering content to phones, tablets, and other mobile devices. This can help educators share a topic or figure of interest and discuss it right away.
US Department of Education
Currently, the education system is undergoing radical changes associated with the introduction of new state educational standards and a multi-level system of higher education. An improved network of federal research universities is being formed. This leads to the creation of conditions for students to choose individual educational trajectories and the improvement of mechanisms for the development of lifelong education. An important factor influencing the development of the education system is new approaches to the system of regulation of the educational sphere.
It should be emphasized that the changes taking place at the present stage of the development of education are significant in their volume and nature. They require not partial amendments to the relevant legislation but a systemic update of the entire mechanism of legal regulation of relations in this area. At the same time, the formation of an integral mechanism of legal regulation in the field of education largely depends on the existence of a sound legal policy in the field of education. The state and society should strive to ensure that the relations that arise in the field of education are regulated to the maximum extent possible. At the same time, preference is given to legislative regulation that meets the standards of inclusiveness and student involvement.
In such conditions, the educator needs to clearly understand the legal field in which their students and themselves reside. This is an integral part of fruitful cooperation and communication because awareness of the legal boundaries of these processes is the key to success in this regard. Educators are obliged to know the rights of students and the field of education in general because these are the norms that students must follow in their daily educational routines. The site of the US Department of Education makes it possible to use a very convenient tool for working with the relevant regulations of the country. This is essential in the context of understanding the environment in which students exist in the country.
News
The web portal also has a news category that reveals the latest updates in the educational sphere of the United States. There are press releases, blogs, speeches, and media advisories sections (US Department of Education, n.d.). Such an approach stresses the fact that the US Department of Education aims to keep society up-to-date within the scope of educational affairs in the country. For educators, it is crucial to realize what changes a new day brings to their professional field. Any shift can affect their relations with students from different angles, and they are to be prepared for various scenarios. The website systematizes the latest news from the sphere, which contributes to the absence of a chaotic information flow. Without a doubt, such a distinctive feature of the governmental source can be considered an advantage of the website.
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
Statistics allows one to see those other mass phenomena in numerical form. Otherwise, the degree of impact of such will be difficult to recognize, and take the right measures to eliminate potential negative consequences. Without statistics, it simply will not be possible to draw a correct conclusion and study the issue from all sides. It helps to delve into it and see what is hidden (National Center for Education Statistics, n.d.). When the task is to make an important and responsible decision regarding, for example, the organization of a student course, one cannot start from assumptions and theories. In this case, the key role is played by the numbers behind which there are studies or years of work. Statistics help to evaluate the key activities of students and give them the right form.
Statistics help to understand the state of affairs in the student sphere from almost any perspective. DataLab statistics have been maintained for many years in various areas. Experience shows that this path is correct and effective. Statistics can be safely attributed to the number of effective tools for cognition and control of the educational environment. There are many ways to account for NCES, and each of them may be applicable or appropriate in a particular situation. It is important that the research is conducted by experienced professionals who know what approach is needed in a given situation. It should be emphasized that this is a state portal, and all involved specialists are recognized experts in their field. They can predict which numbers and values might be useful in the future. Such predictions are offered in regular NCES reports, making this resource extremely valuable to educators.
International Activities Program (IAP)
In modern conditions of globalization and integration, the paradigm of higher education is changing: new goals, development prospects, and guidelines are emerging. In this context, a new type of competitive specialist is being formed. They are flexible and adaptive, as well as strive for a quality education that lays the foundation for a successful future career and personal growth. In turn, the current educational dimension is characterized by a dynamic change in all parameters of human life. In it, indeed, the key competencies are rapid adaptation, mobility, and constructive international interaction. This requires a constructive search for positive international experience.
To improve the quality of education, support should be provided to universities as concentrates of human capital. The US government has several reform strategies in place for the coming years. In particular, this will apply to private universities that are not effectively modernizing the educational process. Research and federal universities will receive assistance from the state. In this regard, one of the priorities will be international cooperation and the adoption of best practices.
The attractiveness of universities is determined not only by the high quality of education but also by a high degree of understanding of the student environment and their interests. It is necessary to create conditions under which the student could feel comfortable in a multicultural educational environment. NCES has a special section of the International Activities Program (IAP), which sheds light on the international cooperation of the United States in the field of education. It is an important source of information for educators ā here, they have the opportunity to get to know the American student environment from an international perspective.
References
Higher Education Research Institute. (n.d.). Homepage. Web.
National Center for Education Statistics. (n.d.). Homepage. Web.
US Department of Education. (n.d.). Homepage. Web.