The experience of COVID-19 has created a unique opportunity for preparing ourselves for future crises and for rethinking pedagogy in higher education. In this case study, we present the latest phase of the process, that sets out to introduce pedagogical transformation at the University of Public Service. Academic staff strive to achieve pedagogical innovation in higher education by effectively developing and accessing learning skills, mentoring individual learning journeys, and cultivating personalized, creative professional communities. The aim of this study is to summarize and analyze the results of the pedagogically driven process of changes and to draw necessary conclusions and possible criticisms for effective continuation, thus supporting the university's efforts for institutional development. In the context of organizational change in higher education, we apply Kotter's eight-step change model to illustrate and to discuss the process and the outcomes. The findings of this paper might prove to be useful for those who, like us, are committed to developing the quality of pedagogy in higher education by transforming educational practice.

We want to present a process of educational reform, from the formulation of the need for change, through the gathering of information, to the most recent steps in the reform process. We aim to be objective in our approach, but no single perspective can accurately reflect reality. In this study we ascribe our own meaning to each step in the process. Further research, using mixed (quantitative and qualitative) methods, can further analyse the results presented in this paper.

Singapore and Hong Kong are long recognised as two renowned higher education hubs in Asia. With the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, much like the rest of the world, both cities had to switch to online education in a rushed manner before it became more carefully designed. In this study, we compare postgraduate students’ experiences and perceptions of online education in the two cities. Using an online survey between June–October 2020 and through factor analysis, we find that Hong Kong students had significantly lower ratings of accessibility and confidence regarding environmental prerequisites—such as an uninterrupted access to internet and electronic devices, an undisturbed learning space—as compared to Singaporean students. With respect to learner participation, motivation and concentration and availability of institutional support, students from Singapore again gave higher ratings. However, students in Hong Kong had significantly more positive ratings for teaching outcomes than their counterparts from Singapore. We argue that this discrepancy may be attributable to cultural factors and prior experience with online education pre-dating the pandemic during the 2019 protest movement, which indicates a learning curve in terms of hybrid learning.

Our study adds to the accumulating knowledge about online education during the pandemic with comparative insights from two leading higher education contexts in Asia. Since many of the survey respondents come from public administration programmes, our findings are particularly pertinent to reiterating the importance of incorporating empathy and inclusiveness into pedagogical strategies in public administration education and beyond, in order for the higher education sector to build back better in the post-pandemic era.

E-governance is a growing trend in the public sector and university students studying public administration (PA) need to be familiar with e-governance concepts and practices to be successful in their careers.

The abstract nature of e-governance concepts arises from their reliance on digital systems, networks, and data flows, which are intangible and therefore have often been overlooked. This makes it challenging for students to grasp these concepts without tangible examples or real-world experiences. Effective teaching methods must involve case studies, simulations, and interactive activities that demonstrate how these concepts are implemented in actual government processes, thereby connecting theory to practical application.

Game-based learning (GBL) can be an effective way to teach e-governance to PA students, as it has proven to be a powerful tool and effective in teaching a variety of subjects including maths, science, and history. This can help students learn better, develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and better understand complex issues.

The purpose of this study is to explore the benefits and significance of integrating GBL components, specifically gamification, into e-governance education for undergraduate public administration students.

The study involves a non-systematic analysis of various sources, including reports, statistics, and academic studies. By using a qualitative-descriptive approach it is hoped that the study will provide insight into the importance and effectiveness of gamification in this setting. The documents analysed using a thematic analysis approach as a way of developing a qualitative understanding that involves identifying patterns and themes in the data were used in this research to identify factors that influence the effectiveness of game-based learning for e-governance.

Because there are only a few studies published to indicate whether students who engage in playing e-government-themed games tend to perform better on tests compared to those who do not participate in such games; the findings of this study point out that gamification in higher education should be explored and encouraged. The research has shown that several factors such as game design, instructors’ skills and learners’ motivation can determine the effectiveness of game-based learning for e-governance. Ultimately, the aim is to provide insights that can help in the development of more engaging and efficient e-governance training programmes for future public managers.

Keywords: game-based learning, e-government, public administration, education, gamification

Public administration education is a key instrument to address emerging public administration challenges. Ethiopia started public administration education in the 1950s, and currently, thirteen public universities are offering bachelor's public administration programs. Nevertheless, PA program learning outcome achievements are not well studied, and comparative studies are absent. By relying on resource dependency theory, and survey data collected from PA Bachelor students (n=91) and faculty members (n=28) in three PA-teaching public universities, this article tries to fill these gaps. It finds significant differences between students and faculty members, and between universities on PA students learning outcome achievements. The variation between universities on access to resources and students' support is substantial. The difference between students and faculty members, and between universities on the PA faculty quality and the quality of the teaching-learning method is insignificant. The study confirms public administration faculty members, access to resources, and student support services positively influence PA learning outcomes. The article contributes to PA education literature and PA program evaluation.