نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
نویسندگان
1 دانشجوی دکتری آینده پژوهی، دانشکده علوم اجتماعی، دانشگاه بین المللی امام خمینی (ره)، قزوین، ایران
2 استاد، گروه آینده پژوهی دانشکده علوم اجتماعی، دانشگاه بین المللی امام خمینی(ره)، قزوین، ایران
3 استادیار، گروه آینده پژوهی، دانشکده علوم اجتماعی، دانشگاه بین المللی امام خمینی (ره)، قزوین، ایران
4 استادیار، گروه مدیریت صنعتی، دانشکده علوم اجتماعی، دانشگاه بین المللی امام خمینی (ره)، قزوین، ایران .
چکیده
کلیدواژه‌ها
موضوعات
عنوان مقاله [English]
نویسندگان [English]
Purpose: The world is navigating the transformative currents of the fourth industrial revolution, characterized by the profound convergence of diverse technologies and the pervasive influence of digitalization as its central framework. This era heralds a paradigm shift across numerous sectors, with higher education and universities at the forefront of this evolution. Emerging Technologies Studies within the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution holds paramount importance in shaping the future of higher education. Understanding the implications and applications of these emerging technologies is crucial for universities to remain relevant, innovative .However, despite the acknowledged significance of this domain, there is a notable deficiency in comprehensive scientometric studies and research that systematically analyze and map the existing body of knowledge. This gap in research underscores the need for a thorough investigation into the current state of studies and research related to emerging technologies in higher education. Consequently, this study was meticulously designed and executed to analyze the existing studies and research that pertain to this critical field, shedding light on the trends, patterns, and impactful contributions within it.
Methodology: This applied research was conducted using an analytical approach aiming to provide a detailed and comprehensive overview of the field. Employing a mixed-methods design, this study integrates quantitative and qualitative techniques to ensure a holistic understanding of the subject matter. Scientometric techniques and a systematic review were also used. This research's statistical population comprised 273 articles Emergin Technologies Studies in the Fourth Industrial Revolution Era in Universities and Higher Education". The term 'higher education' encompasses universities, colleges, and other degree-granting institutions .These articles were meticulously selected from the Web of Science citation database, covering the publication period from 2019 to 2024. The selection process adhered to the rigorous guidelines of the PRISMA checklist, ensuring transparency and reproducibility. Subsequently, the selected articles underwent a thorough analysis, review, and visualization process, utilizing software tools including "EndNote" for reference management, "Excel" for data processing, and "VOSViewer" for network visualization and mapping.
Findings: The analysis of publication trends revealed growth in the number of papers published . This upward trajectory underscores the increasing recognition and scholarly interest in this domain. A comprehensive analysis of the keywords used in the articles identified 1,240 keywords, which were subsequently categorized into 29 distinct technology titles. Among these keywords, general terms such as “higher education,” “education 4.0,” and “education” exhibited the highest frequency, indicating their centrality to the field. Network analysis of co-authorship patterns revealed significant collaborative relationships between researchers from Malaysia, South Africa, Mexico, Spain, and India, highlighting the international nature of this research area. Statistical analyses further identified MDPI as the leading publisher and Sustainability as the top journal for publishing articles in this field. Moreover, the analysis revealed that “education and educational research” emerged as the most dominant research area in the analyzed articles
Conclusion: The increasing publication trend signifies a growing acknowledgment of the importance of emerging technologies in higher education within the Fourth Industrial Revolution. However, the conspicuous absence of published review articles in this field highlights a significant gap. This gap warrants further attention and scholarly effort. A particularly alarming observation is the absence of Iran among the countries contributing to authorship in this field, This absence suggests a potential oversight by Iranian researchers and policymakers regarding this critical issue.The analysis of scientific research areas underscores the diverse disciplinary interest in emerging technologies in higher education Various scientific domains are demonstrating a keen focus on this area. The analysis shows a high prevalence of micro-topics. These micro-topics relate to augmented reality, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and blockchain. This indicates the widespread adoption and utilization of these technologies in universities and higher education institutions, effectively transforming them into vibrant and dynamic research hotspots. The analyzed articles show a strong connection to the UN SDGs. This connection underscores the pivotal role of universities in cultivating a skilled and capable workforce well-prepared for the Fourth Industrial Revolution's challenges and opportunities. In conclusion, it is necessary to briefly mention two of the most significant limitations of this research: 1- The field of emerging technologies is rapidly changing and evolving. Therefore, defining the time frame for collecting articles required a balance: it should not be so long-term as to include older technologies, nor so limited as to exclude many relevant technologies from the scope of the study. For this reason, the last six years were considered the most appropriate time frame for review. 2-On the one hand, due to the nascent nature of these technologies, and on the other hand, the lack of understanding of their importance in the field of education in our country, the scarcity of review and bibliometric articles, as well as official statistical reports, is unfortunately a serious limitation of the present research.
کلیدواژه‌ها [English]
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