2.
Technology-Enhanced Learning: a new digital divide - Watling, Sue
Powerful national and institutional drivers have embedded technology into the learning experience for students in all higher educational institutions. New learning technologies are often perceived as providers of exciting opportunities for enhancement and innovation. They are seen as tools for helping to break down barriers and increasing opportunities for flexible and open learning. The institutionally led virtual learning environment has become a mainstream component of delivery both on and off campus. This chapter will look at the ways in which its singularity is being challenged by the mobility of social networking and user generated software. It will suggest that the...
3.
Self-report case studies: an experiment in own-classroom data collection - Kerry, Trevor
This chapter describes the process by which a group of teachers collected data in their own classrooms as part of a research project. It goes on to examine how the reliability and validity of such data can be established.
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The demands made by RE on pupils' thinking - Kerry, Trevor
This chapter examines the cognitive level at which pupils are required to work during RE lessons in secondary schools
5.
Mixed-ability teaching - Kerry, Trevor
This chapter resulted from investigations undertaken for the Teacher Education Project. It examines the nature and extent of mixed ability teaching in secondary schools. It looks at the implications of this mode of teaching for teaching skills and for the training of teachers.
8.
Classroom organisation and learning - Kerry, Trevor; Sands, Margaret
The chapter deals with a number of issues related to teaching mixed ability classes in secondary schools. In particular it looks at effective practice in group work, at providing for the more and less able, and at some successful and less successful teaching strategies.
9.
Leadership of schools: chief executives in education - Thody, Angela
This records and analyses observations of the daily lives of the Directors of Education in English Local Education Authorities to reveal what life was like for these chief officers just as local power began to decline and control of education moved to central government. This period of change is covered in this longitudinal study which observed five Directors in 1986-7 and four in the early 1990s. It provides a unique and detailed observation of strategic management in action highlighting issues of leadership common to all sectors of management and valid for any period of major change. In writing this, Angela...
10.
Mentoring: the great training confidence trick? - Kerry, Trevor
The chapter examines the current view that teacher performance and initial training are improved by the presence of a mentor. Kerry looks critically at the arguments to support this assertion. He also examines mentoring schemes in action to identify their short-comings.
11.
Integrated studies - Eggleston, Jim; Kerry, Trevor
This chapter examines the notion of 'an integrated curriculum' and then looks at integration in practice in the primary school using data the authors collected for the Schools' Council as part of a research project.
12.
Talking: the teacher's role - Kerry, Trevor
The chapter examines the skills a teacher needs to lead classroom discussion
13.
On-line assessment for e-learning: options and opportunities - Karran, Terence; Latomaa, Timo; Pohjonen, Juha; Ruotsalainen, Merja; Pulkkinen, Jyrki
The desire to produce educational multi-media packages of ever greater sophistication is such that other, more problematic, elements of e- or on- line learning receive less attention by academics and courseware developers alike. One such problematic area is that of assessment, which is surprising, as e-learning assessment procedures are more critical in defining the learning that takes place. However, because e-learning can create a much richer, more varied active learning experience than would normally occur via the passive didactic teaching mode currently utilised in most universities and centred on the use of the lecture, it also has the potential to...
14.
E-México - building on success, for success - Karran, Terence
The paper details the ITC context for México, which is characterised by a low, but rapidly growing use of ICTS, and then examines at the recent E-México policy initiative launched by President Vincent Fox, in the light of México's considerable experience in using ICT for distance education. Finally the paper suggests that, by benchmarking against Finland (a country with a high use of ICTs in both business and education), México would derive considerable social, economic and educational benefits from the use of ICTs
15.
Educational development units: the challenge of quality enhancement in a changing environment. - Beckton, Julian
Reviews the role of the Educational Development Unit and suggests that such units should focus primarily on building a learning environment appropriate to its host university, rather than paying a disproportionate amounts of attention to externally imposed targets. A unit should not of course ignore those targets, rather it should endeavour to manage them in a way that meets the work patterns of its own institution.
16.
Art and money: experience destruction exposure - O'Neill, Mary
In no other area of human activity is the relationship between production and money as perverse as in the art world. The peculiarity of this relationship may be responsible for the appreciative failure of much of contemporary art and in particular conceptual art. If value is attached to ‘intrinsic’ qualities of an object it would be hard to justify the high prices attached to contemporary artwork. This however raises interesting questions as to the extent to which it is possible to separate economic from other values in art. There have been numerous attempts to break the link between art and...
17.
From ECTS to EGS: strains, pains, brains and gains - Karran, Terence
This paper examines specific features relating to the process of changing the method of assessment and grading in higher education within the European Union, namely:
• that strains on the academic staff are inevitable, given the growing pressures for European integration within a wider (25 nations plus) community;
• that irrespective as to whatever or wherever change takes place in higher education, (be it in curricula design and delivery, assessment and grading, etc.) it has to be undertaken by people who may be resistant to change, and who hence may find the process painful. Consequently, addressing the human dimension (through inclusive involvement) in securing...
18.
Strategy and information systems - Curtis, Graham; Cobham, David
The subject of this chapter is to expand on the relationship between strategy and information systems. Initially the need for a business strategy is explained together with a suggested overview of the business strategic planning process. The way in which this necessitates an information systems strategy is covered. There are many frameworks within which information systems strategy can be viewed. One framework is outlined and its various components are explained. Each emphasises a different perspective on the issues that a firma may wish to take into account when formulating strategy. They all have one feature in common though - they...
19.
The student as producer: reinventing the student experience in higher education - Neary, Mike; Winn, Joss
In this chapter, we set out to provide an overview of recent critical responses to the corporatisation of higher education and the configuration of the student as consumer. We also discuss the relationship between the core activities of teaching and research and reflect on both nineteenth century discourse and more recent efforts to re-establish the university as a liberal humanist institution, where teaching and research are equal and fundamental aspects of academic life. While recognizing recent efforts which acknowledge and go some way to addressing the need for enquiry-based learning and constructivist models of student participation, we argue that a...
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