This lesson introduces the concept of university rankings and global visibility, differentiating between rankings and ratings, and outlining major global ranking systems, their methodologies, and potential biases, with a specific focus on the challenges faced by African universities.
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Hey, hello dear friends. Welcome to the
virtual institute for capacity building
in higher education vig the number one
in the whole of Africa. Uh we've done
modules number one, two, three and now
we are module number 10 12. Module
number 12 is on mastering university rankings
rankings
global for global visibility. And in
this lesson number one we'll be looking
at things worth knowing about university
rankings and global visibility. Talk
about visibility. Let me make myself
visible. I am [snorts] Peter Cable and
I'm going to be running you through this
lesson and a couple of others as we
progress. There's a fundamental question
that we will be looking at and that is
what are university rankings about? That
is the general uh uh question within it.
In this lesson, we'll be looking at what
university rankings are and what they
are not. We'll also be looking at
differences between ranking and rating
and also we'll be looking at the global
system and and examining the major
global ranking schemes. Very importantly
uh my dear friends we want to learn in
this lesson the different the the
terminologies is like definition of
terms the terminologies that we use uh
in ranking indicators metrics waitings
biblometrics impact factors all of that.
So when you have learned this and uh you
exit this lesson or you at the end of
the training and you're talking in a
public place and they look at you oh wow
how did this person know all of this not
doing that a vig
action we also be looking at the myths
myths that uh surround matters about
ranking. So let's go lesson number one.
Yeah. So let's begin the lesson
properly. Let's uh recap the objectives.
We have to do six things in this lesson.
Define ranking and written uh we will
describe we describe seven major global
ranking. Seven yes seven of them were
speed methodologies and we get on to
this number six potential biases.
Let's start with objective number one
which is to define ranking and rating.
So let's look at ranking. How do I
define ranking? I define ranking as
[snorts] arranging people, objects or
things in a particular order based on
how they perform or compare according to
chosen criteria. So criteria that you
will choose either one criterion or two
or three or four. So when you aggregate
all of these and then you rank the
people, objects or things that is
ranking. So look at let's look at some
everyday examples. So uh your child or
grandchild comes home and he says hey at
the end of bring your report card my
friend. How have you done? Oh I came
first. How very nice. Oh I came 50th. Oh
you came 50th. when I was when I was
your parents when I was in school I was
always coming first
maybe not be like so the ranking has to
do with such uh such arrangements
universities around for a second third
on this global or national or regional
tableables that we looking at in this uh
course then the unified tertiary
mipulation examination that is conducted
by J
uh The candidates are listed
is a unique man, brilliant man. [snorts]
Before this time we just get discuss
another but what he does and he believes
in merit is oh we rank order that this
course you want to read medicine. Oh
yeah you can't take somebody who has 310
and refuse to [clears throat] take
somebody who has 312.
So the the scores are rank ordered. I'm
very proud of it. So in the Olympics or
I came first, second, third, you wiggle,
silver, bronze. So for ranking by way of
everyday examples, competitive is
relative and is position. The points to
emphasize four there's an order. It's
comparative is competitive as I said
before and it produces positions. Hey,
let's move on to rating. Let me start
even by giving example. Uh I I I stayed
in a
fivestar hotel or I stayed in a one-star
hotel but it's not half star by the way.
So you you don't all of these are banded
together. So you don't see that in Lagos
you have that is number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 no
no so what you end up doing is b uh
banned the b give a score or a level to
something usually without directly
comparing it to others directly
comparing it to others so you assign a
value not placing it in order against
somebody let's take some example I
already given this first example
Hotels five star, three star. Hospitals
are also classified fivestar hospital
three star. The movies you see PG
parental guidance PG-13 and also
[snorts] the degrees that were awarded
in our institutions. The core curriculum
and minimum academic standards say you
find it even the earlier one be first
class second class upper second class
and the rest are banded together like
that. Then vig our great vig I said
introduction is number one in Africa. We
also have some rating system where we
classify certificates distinction plus.
So we add them together distinction
credit merit and pass. These are benchmark
benchmark
uh these are
based on benchmarks.
Let's go on to objective number two.
after completing objective number one
which is to describe seven major
this one major not major just joking by
the way global university ranking system
meaning that there are very many many of
them but we're going to take on some
major ones and the major ones I have
listed here seven that we'll be dealing
with during the course of module 12
times education world university
rankings by the way t education has some
other in this table which you'll also be
looking at. QS World University
Rankings, Academic Ranking of World
Universities, ARW, otherwise known as
Shangai ranking, US World News Best
Global Universities, C uh WTS Leading
Ranking. You will enjoy this one like
the others. Of course, going to enjoy
everyone. We metric ranking. I didn't
say Webtric Webtric ranking or ranking
web of universities. The round
university ranking. How you are? I'm
sure many of you have not heard this one
before but that you attending this
course is opening your eyes or to some
of these things. So I will not spend so
much time because the subsequent lessons
will take this one by one actually
lesson two we focus on this three will
focus on this and it goes on like that.
But you see these are the one I've just
mentioned the seven are institutional
ranking universities.
The other ranking schemes that focus on
individuals. So major group are rankings
for individuals. These uh these include
clarate highly cited researchers HCR ad
scientific index stand for LCV world's
top 2% scientist research.com rankings
webometric ranking of scientist
transparent ranking and up to number 10 here.
here.
Hey, what's happening in Africa? All of
these ones outside Africa. I tell you,
Africa is almost left out. But that is
why we are here. We want to shake off
this uh ignorable
this ignoble status of Africa being
healthier. We don't have any. But of
course, we have we we have don't know
whether to say had African quality
rating mechanism. AQRM. AQRM was uh led
by the by by professor
the current secretary general of AE when
he was working in the African Union
Commission several days
15 years ago they developed this but I
don't know where it is because I was
invited to do the analysis at some point
but we are hoping based on module 12 to
get something out for Africa. But I have
good news audience. So what is the good
news? The good news is that all the ones
I listed from Europe, North America,
they're coming after that of NU. NU was
the first to rank universities in
Africa. Fortunately, I was ESNU and I
brought in that mechanism. So in 2001
when I joined UC, we started the ranking
of universities in Nigeria. We had a
2002 all the way to 2006 when I left
office. So thing was paused. But when
Baba Rashid, Professor Abaka, great man
indeed when he came say no no no this
has to be revised. So he set up the
Nigerian university's
ranking advisory committee new rack that
I chair and with former vice loss from
the six geopolitical zones being members
and uh Dr.
Belalio as our secretary representative
years. So we ran Nigeria University 2022
2023. So we're not doing so badly but
we're going to improve on our
performance. Let's go to objective
number three. After finishing objective
number two to explain the methodologies
employed by each major ranking system.
So in doing this, I like to let you know
that I'm going to move fairly fast for
this lesson number one cuz this lesson
number one is mainly introductory introductory.
introductory.
I'll be going through each of these each
of this in the next in subsequent
lessons. So what this has done you know
we're talking about mythology
methodologist this last but column and
then you have QS you know world rankings
look at the years of the establishment
2004 A established we got it when I was
here started it 2001 24 years ago 25 by
the way so you can see all these ones
this one yesterday that's the global one
US news admin before but the global bit
uh 2008 2004 2010 this not baby all
these not babies their coverage the
primary focus the key strengths the main
limitations methodology type then how
frequently they updated this annual
annual and the rest like that so we'll
go into more details on this table mind
you I like you to maybe take a snapshot
of this because we have a Friday test
and a few tests may be coming out from
here let's look at the waitings
This is where the thing is where they
are different in some form among others
though indicator category reputation
service reputation service
QS abortions 45%
to that t education 33% ARW nothing
doesn't do no service news 25% lighting nothing
nothing
rur included 10% look at the others on
this table you can see that
So when a when a ranker like us
sometimes high education for whatever of
the skills that is operating when they
decide that this is what we want that's
what they want no police can catch them
so we are also going to do as of course
in Africa data sources QS draws a
citation database
database for scopos RW from web of
science the so respondent as you can see
QSH is huge In terms of survey academics 130,000
130,000
class education about 40,000 in data
transparency. So that's what this table
is presenting to us.
We are moving the objective number four
define at least five key technical
terms. Look when you finish this course
even this lesson and you are you are
talking about ranking and they see some
dropping from your mouth say my friend
you know I said it during the
introduction of this lesson
you conserving this thing ah say don't
mod 12 so let's take on a few of them
like I said like five but I'm going to
show you many more the first baba maybe
is indicator indicator so what are
indicators Those are the things that you
decide you going to measure like the
number of publications, student teacher
ratio, international students, research
income, citations and all that. So I
liken it to
the ingredients in that soup or in that
uh ranking ranking operation. So think
of indicators as ingredients you use to
make ranking. Just like you need rice,
tomato, pepper, oil to make jolof fries.
Ghana no come Nigeria get jolof fries by
the way that's a joke. So the incubtors
are the ingredients. So when you talk
about reputation
research income citation you're talking
about the indicators. Now let's look at
the metrics but just how you measure
those indicators. You can say I'm
progressing. You get indicator. Then you
measure the the metrics, the specific
numbers or measurements you collect for
each indicator
like 15 to1 student teacher ratio to 5%
of international students 2.3 billion
research income and all of that. So
metrics are the actual measures the how
much nick they pardon me speaking pigeon
English but I love to do that. I love to
just relax everybody. How many
for each of the indicators. Now let's
look at the waiting. Waiting is how the
proportion importance you give to each
indicator when calculating the final
score. Excuse me. Uh so example you can
say uh research will be 40%. Teaching
30%, internationalization counts for
30%. Nobody's going to catch you is you
to decide. So wages like say exams are
worth 70% of your grade assessments
assess assessments assessment excuse me
are worth 30%. So making 30% it
determines which indicators you will
determine which indicators matter most.
Then composite score composite score you
have all indicators you measure them and
you bring all of them together after
waiting giving them weight you then
bring them together. So that is the
final number that you get that you use
for ranking. There are some other major
terms that will be encountering as you
go along but I do not want to overload
you that citation impact for each of
these. I've talked about the meaning and
how they are measured each index field
normalization and the rest that you can
see here. Wonderful wonderful wonderful
let's go to number five objective of
this lesson five of six. going to
compare the strengths,
limitations and biases, geographic,
disciplinary, linguistic or different
ranking system. So here we are on the on
this table.
Key West geographical bias
moderate Anglo American Anglo
growing Asian coverage so it's spreading
for Asian
uh disciplinary bias relatively balanced
relatively biased balanced there's
language bias English medium advantage
best for comparative overview for all of
these are several ranking skills are
provided or this geographical bias
disciplinary bias buyers and the rest.
So I'll be referring to them as we
progress through the course of this
course because as I said this is
introductory lesson lesson number one.
Let's go to the last one. What to
identify the potential biases and
limitations in ranking system that may
disadvantage the visibility of African
unities. I'm coming down now to African
universities. So what do we make of
that? What you make out of is that
there's no single ranking that will give
us the complete story. So you say oh
you're well rank in keywords but it has
limitations is focus tax education I
rank for all universities. So no single
one so it's a combination. So each system
system
reflects particular values and
priorities. For instance, you can't get
into ARWU if you don't have level
research excellence. And TA education
seeks comprehensive balance. QS
emphasizes reputation and employability.
Leading offers pure biblometric rigor.
We metrics promotes digital openness. So
for African universities, we got to find
a nice niche for ourselves. Hey, VBA is
not about theory. You know over the last
several uh minutes I've been talking
talking for us in VB it is practical.
It's a good exampler of how open and
distance learning should be delivered to
give you practical skills. So let's go
on to practical number one. And what am
I asking you for to do in practical
number one? Just two things two tasks.
The first you know we look at we looked
at institutional
uh ranking we then look at individual.
So I would like you to state the rank of
your institution on the latest edition
of four globally tables. Which four?
Which four I will show you? I'm going to
show you now. And then to state your
rank as a module 12 participant or
scholar on two individual global league
[clears throat] tables. Hey
demonstration. Stand by. Let me give a
demonstration of this. So demonstrating
this. This is the report sheet. uh this
is just one page. So what are you going
to do? Fill in your details here. Region
number first name is name of
institution. So if you are from national
invest commission for instance you can
take the institution that you graduated
from a first degree masters or or PhD
for the others that you are in
particular institution take that
institution put the name of that
institution there. So it's your
performance. I'd like you to look at 1 2
3 4 5 6 you know we said seven before
but I'm taking this to be six. You want
to tell us what the rank of your
institution is the time education world
rank is 2026.
You want to tell us what the global rank
what the African rank or the Nigerian
rank is. And then you want to go to time
education sustainability impact rating.
You want to tell us the global rank and
this global metrics ranking. You want to
tell us this there this this ARW this
this QS ranking and all that. If you
don't see yourself if it is not there if
you cannot find your university just say
no visibility
not visible under the radar can see you.
But the object of this training is to
get you to learn how you can be visible
so that uh by by other 6 months one year
your university will jump several uh
jump the ladder go up up and up. So you
got to put all of those ones here.
Therefore individual performance you as
a person you find out what you have what
your ad scientific what's your rank
individual clarivate what's your rank
Africa if you don't can't find anything
just say nil yes nil so many nails so n
i l there'll be so many in this in this
class but doesn't matter we just want to
establish that baseline now you have to
discuss the results this result that you
have got you got to discuss it
analyze it and then make recommendations
for yourself and for the institution uh
for improvement and then you reach some
conclusion the marking is quite
straightforward for every entry here it
is 20 let me see 20 marks everything you
put in here where you put me or you put
but we're going to check our system will
check for your institution check what
you have entered here and then yeah what
else what What else? What else? Yes. Uh
so for the three categories time six but
that's 300 marks for the individual
there three categories there two ranking
schemes that's 100 marks. Then the heart
of the matter your discussion your
recommendations and conclusions. So
total that you are angling for is 120.
Now let [clears throat] me tell you
Yeah. For each of those rankings, you go
to their site. If you don't know their
site, just Google world university
rankings or whatever. So, you go to
their site and then be able view latest
rankings and then search for the
university uh rankings name of
university location. So, let let's take
Covenant University. Covenant is can see
it's coming up. Oh, that's Covenant.
Covenant University. Yeah. So, that's
it. So that will give you this will give
you the global ranking uh 101 1 to120 0.
So you fill up that cell. But what about
Nigeria? What about Africa? I'll show
you how you can get that. You do the
same thing for webmetrics and the rest.
But there's a shortcut. There's a
shortcut. Uh-huh. You want to know? Yes.
I'm going to show that to you right now.
Yeah. It is to use an AI tool. I'm sure
to please supply you for your university
the case that the case I want to use as
example that cover university to give
you data to fill this table metrics for
ARW for this for this let's let let me
show you
yeah so this will be the prompt
please provide the ranking of covenant university.
Sorry about my keyboard very noisy for
this table. So that's the table I gave
to you. So what you need to do is just
copy this and paste in your tool. It can
be any of any of the AI tools.
Yeah. So this GP what's on your mind
today? What it concern you concern you?
Anyway, I tell you what's on my mind.
I've copied that and pasted it here. So
let it go like this and searching tax
education world rankings and the rest
and the rest. So you can see metric ranking
ranking
world. So that's the thing that's just paste
paste
this one there. So search for it get the
thing from here and paste there. So it's
as simple as that. You do the same thing
too for the individual. Just mention
your name and uh you will have it there.
I sell the thing is populated and then
you describe that that's part of the
matter as I said you will give us a full
discussion this analysis of this cuz
that's the and how you can we can
improve at the instruction level and at
the uh at the at your own level.
Yes, that brings us to the end of lesson
number one on things worth knowing about
university rankings and global
visibility. Hey, so what's cooking for
lesson number two? In lesson number two,
we shall be digging deep into times
higher education rankings.
rankings.
Today, as you can see, it's Saturday,
February the 14th. We opening formally
on the 17th. 17th is a special day, you
know, for me. Yeah. Today is 14th
February and uh it's uh Valentine's Day.
So I say happy Valentine to you all as
some people will say for my place. Happy
Valentine. Valentine. Interesting.
[snorts] So I'm Peter caller. Yes.
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