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Reclaiming work: education and work in Scotland
No full textA prominent feature of education policy in the United Kingdom in the
1980s and 1990s has been an emphasis on ‘enterprise education‘ in
response to Jim Callaghan’s challenge to a ‘Great Debate‘. This has taken
many different forms. Most commonly it has involved the promotion of
work-based learning and work-related learning in terms of what have
been called ‘education-industry links‘ (EIL). In England and Wales this
has involved specific curriculum guidelines and directives. In Scotland,
by comparison, the focus has been much softer in that the pragmatic
emphasis on employability, lifelong learning and the promotion of EIL is
located within a wider context. In November 1997, Brian Wilson, the
Minister for Education and Industry at the time, indicated that Scottish
schools had a responsibility to help young people make the transition
from school to work. Her Majesty’s (HM) Inspectors followed up on this
directive with a report titled: Education for work in schools (1999). The
report, while evidence-based in the sense that it is based on inspections of
‘best practice’ in 28 schools, is not research-based or related to relevant
bodies of literature on the changing nature of work in advanced societies.
In this paper, I make the plea for policy makers to begin to
recognise philosophical, historical and sociological perspectives on the
changing nature of work. First, I briefly examine the immediate
background of the Education for work in schools report; second, I provide
a brief synopsis of the policy; and third, I review the policy in terms of
the work of Andre Gorz, Jeremy Rifkin and Anthony Giddens
Net results: knowledge, information and learning on the Internet
No full textThis paper considers the rapid uptake of information technologies in the higher
education sector, in particular the increasing use of the Internet as a resource for
academic research. It argues that very little fundamental research is currently
being undertaken into the consequences of Internet research, and poses some
serious questions that may arise unless serious efforts are put into assessing the
nature of the process. The paper puts forward arguments indicating that Internetresearched
papers in the humanities and social sciences are increasingly devoid of
reflexivity and criticality. The author puts forward the argument that in a worstcase
scenario, the higher education sector in the developed economies is
producing not only a generation of students who lack ‘cultural literacy’ and the
problems that arise from this, but over the long-term this will pose serious
problems for the functioning of a healthy civic-democratic society.
Voices in the wider society speak of knowledge, breadth, critical reason,
freedom and even critical conscience, but voices speak more loudly of skills,
impact, standards, accountability and efficiency. (Barnett 2000, p 34
Blending play, practice and performance: children’s use of the computer at home
No full textIn this paper I report selected results of a multi-method, multi-staged
study of children’s use of computers in their homes and examine the
implications of such use for educators. The study took place between
1995 and 1998, drawing evidence from 500 children with diverse
socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds from urban Sydney who
regularly used a computer at home.
My aim with this study is to develop knowledge and understanding
about the reciprocal relationship that develops between the child and the
computer within the sociocultural context of the home. I explore social
discourses surrounding children’s use of home computers in ways that
elucidate the relationship between discourse and affordances, and
highlight the children’s conception of the computer as a playable tool. In
my discussion I consider the co-agency of the relationship between the
child and the computer that leads to learning through a blending of play,
practice and performance. This approach to learning is contrasted to the
approaches imposed within schools when children are engaged in
learning, either with or without the use of computer-related technology.
The significance of these findings goes beyond challenging the way we
integrate computers into schooling; it challenges the assumptions that
underpin current teaching and learning practices in our schools
Book Review: Rethinking Indigenous Education: Culturalism, Colonialism and the Politics of Knowing
No full textTeacher reflection and theories of learning online
No full textMany universities have pursued the development of online offering of their
subjects with enthusiasm, with a perception that ultimately such offerings
will increase the availability of the subject and be a cost-effective enterprise.
As yet, little attention has been paid to the potential for online subjects to
encourage deep learning in students who undertake them. This paper
considers some current understandings of students’ approaches to learning
and examines the potential for online subjects to provide a positive
teaching/learning environment. It concludes that, as in the lecture theatre or
tutorial room, the virtual classroom can succeed through reflective teaching
underpinned by the solid application of theories of learning
Pluralizing plagiarism: Identities, contexts, pedagogies
No full textStudies exploring understandings of plagiarism now make up a sizeable contribution to the study of academic literacy. Universities have increased efforts to reduce plagiarism, just as access to information has increased way beyond what was possible just a few years ago. The editors of Pluralizing plagiarism: Identities, contexts, pedagogies, Rebecca Moore Howard and Amy Robillard, acknowledge that much attention has been given to plagiarism, but they argue that the academy offers a monolithic definition of the problem of plagiarism and "one set of solutions in all circumstances" (p. 2). They point out that writing is no longer taught as the one generalised model of "good writing" and much is now known about how standards for writing are subject specific, yet plagiarism is responded to in generalised simplistic ways. Hence, they argue that responses to plagiarism need to be more nuanced, and plagiarism must be pluralised.
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Online discussion boards for focus group interviews: an exploratory study
No full textCertain attributes of information and communication technology have many
potentially useful applications for qualitative research. With reference to an
exploratory study, in this paper we consider how online discussion boards
can facilitate the collection of qualitative data from focus group interviews.
We also evaluate the advantages and limitations of conducting these
interviews through online discussion
Crisis Management in Schools: Evidence-based Postvention
No full textCritical incidents in or involving schools include shootings, stabbings, other forms of homicide, terrorist activity, suicide, road traffic accidents, major fires or natural disasters, which result or might result in death and/or serious injury to students and staff. Where crisis management plans exist, they might be based on “common sense†or clinical judgement, risking worsening rather than improving outcomes. The relevant evidence base is scattered and of very various quality. This systematic review addresses these difficulties. This second part of the review focuses on postvention (action after the incident). The beginnings of an evidence base can be seen. There is conflict between
medical models of intervention and social community-based models. Intensity of exposure is a strong predictor of adverse outcomes, which may stem from primary or secondary adversity. Information is often demanded by stakeholders, but it is unclear how to provide this most effectively. A balance
must be struck between reactivating painful emotions and tacitly encouraging suppression (both of which can worsen outcomes). Participation in “support†activities should be voluntary. Psychological Debriefing (under various
names) and Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR) have no convincing evidence for effectiveness (although intervention definition and implementation fidelity have been problematic). Methods might be differentially effective with different groups (e.g. females). Large scale crisis management policy initiatives are not necessarily evidence-based and might worsen outcomes in some respects. Crises can have some benefits. Implications for policy, practice and future research are outlined, and
summary practice guidelines for schools offered
False alarm or real warning? Implications for China of teaching English
No full textThis paper explores the cultural impact of teaching the English language with particular
reference to China. It deals with the following questions: (1) It is said that English is
threatening other languages and cultures. For China, is this a false alarm or a real
warning? (2) The fact that China has entered the world of English teaching has
accelerated the spread of the English language. Is English teaching in China a good idea
or not? (3) Language is part of culture. English teaching in China therefore may lead to
conflict between two strikingly different cultures: the western and the Chinese. What are
the cultural implications of English teaching in China? (4) By teaching the English
language, China is making a transition from English as a foreign language to English as
a second language. What are the implications of such a transition? In response to these
questions, the author argues that Chinese language and culture might not be safe once
China enters a bilingual stage and proposes ways to protect them