Towards a new psychology of student learning The emphasis in HE on political agendas involving widening participation, equality and access, expanding routes into HE and so on, reminds us of the ease with which we can polarise ‘experience’ as either an individual or group phenomenon. Whilst the broad study of social trends can be enormously useful for policy development and reviewing the impact of initiatives, there remains for many teachers in HE a temptation to privilege individual stories as the only way to represent a truly ‘authentic’ version of The Students’ Progress. The student experience can be explored through a number of informing lenses, including in no particular order: the subject discipline; benchmark statements of knowledge, skills and employment prospects; assessment; or pedagogy (should that be andragogy?). The student experience tends to be framed as an individual or group construct determined in part by whether one starts from a psychological, historical, anthropological, political, sociological, or financial perspective. A Programme Assessor’s View 5 Support for International Students 8 ESCalate ITE Conference 12 TechDis 15 Working with the Oxfam Project (EQUIP) 18 Exchange Networks 21 A Psychodynamic Model 28 Young Carers and How Best to Support Them 31 Individual Awards 2008 32 Dr Julie Hughes 34 Bringing Life to the Material Developing Academic Skills Teacher Education in the UK Making the most of PDFs A Teaching Fellow Award Developing and Enhancing Learning and Teaching Some Issues for CPD 24 Meeting the ECM Agenda The Student Experience The Hidden Carers National Teaching Fellows In Conversation with... events 36 Internal and External Events n e w s ESCalate Issue 11 - Summer 2008 CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 Another approach is emerging. Although its application in the discipline of education is currently limited, psychodynamic theory has already become established in some HE disciplines to extend our understanding of teaching and ▼ The newsletter of the Education Subject Centre - advancing learning and teaching in education “With a wealth of theorised knowledge about unconscious processes available to us, it is appropriate to ask how we can use it to enhance our under- standing of teaching and learning and the student learning experience.”
Welcome message from author
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Towards a new psychologyof student learning
The emphasis in HE on politicalagendas involving wideningparticipation, equality and access,expanding routes into HE and so on,reminds us of the ease with which wecan polarise ‘experience’ as either anindividual or group phenomenon.Whilst the broad study of socialtrends can be enormously useful forpolicy development and reviewing theimpact of initiatives, there remains formany teachers in HE a temptation toprivilege individual stories as the onlyway to represent a truly ‘authentic’version of The Students’ Progress.
The student experience can be explored through a number ofinforming lenses, including in no particular order: the subjectdiscipline; benchmark statements of knowledge, skills andemployment prospects; assessment; or pedagogy (should thatbe andragogy?). The student experience tends to be framed asan individual or group construct determined in part by whetherone starts from a psychological, historical, anthropological,political, sociological, or financial perspective.
A Programme Assessor’s View 5
Support for International Students 8
ESCalate ITE Conference 12
TechDis 15
Working with the Oxfam Project (EQUIP) 18
Exchange Networks 21
A Psychodynamic Model 28
Young Carers and How Best to Support Them 31
Individual Awards 2008 32
Dr Julie Hughes 34
Bringing Life to the Material
Developing Academic Skills
Teacher Education in the UK
Making the most of PDFs
A Teaching Fellow Award
Developing and Enhancing Learning and Teaching
Some Issues for CPD 24Meeting the ECM Agenda
The Student Experience
The Hidden Carers
National Teaching Fellows
In Conversation with...
events 36Internal and External Events
newsESC
ala
teIssue 11 - Summer 2008
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
Another approach is emerging.Although its application in thediscipline of education is currentlylimited, psychodynamic theory hasalready become established in someHE disciplines to extend ourunderstanding of teaching and
�
The newsletter of the Education Subject Centre - advancing learning and teaching in education
“With a wealth oftheorised knowledgeabout unconsciousprocesses available tous, it is appropriate toask how we can use itto enhance our under-standing of teaching andlearning and the studentlearning experience.”
ESCalate news is a termly publication.
The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of theeditor nor of the partner organisations. The editors reserve the right toedit, amend or abbreviate copy without notice.
ESCalate (Education Subject Centre)Part of the Higher Education Academy Subject Centre NetworkUniversity of BristolGraduate School of Education35 Berkeley SquareBristolBS8 1JA
Tel: 0117 331 4291Fax: 0117 925 1537Email: [email protected]
An electronic version of this newsletter is available on theESCalate website.
This newsletter is available free of charge. If you do not currently receivea copy and wish to do so in the future please contact [email protected]. Your details will only be used for keeping youinformed of ESCalate activity and will not be made available to outsideorganisations.
If you have any ideas or copy that you would like to see included in afuture newsletter please get in touch.
We are especially interested in items which:• Show innovative practice in your Education Department;• Celebrate National Teaching Fellows and other awards for
teaching and learning;• Showcase student achievement.
The next copy deadline is 8th September 2008,please email: [email protected]
ESCalate @ BristolDr Tony BrownDr Julie AndersonLiz HankinsonTeresa NurserAnne Anderson
ESCalate @ CumbriaProfessor Sue BloxhamDr Sam TwiseltonDr Alison JacksonSue Scowcroft
ESCalate @ StirlingProfessor John FieldGinny SaichDr Derek Young
Editorial Team:Dr Tony BrownTeresa Nurser
Get involved withESCalate, It’s easy.
Please look at ourwebsite for opportunities.
www.escalate.ac.uk
learning processes, and HEinstitutions as organisations1.Psychodynamic theory offersexploration of relational experienceand the defences we use to copewith relations: with self and otherand the ego’s attempts at self-protection from stress and anxiety inthe face of the unfamiliar. Indisciplines such as English, film andmedia studies, there is a strongtradition of using psychodynamictheory to critique literature, film andart.
The picture in some disciplines isone of a slow but steady recognitionthat psychodynamic theory canprovoke questions which cannoteasily be asked from within thedominant constructivist andtechnicist paradigms. Special issuesof academic journals are one vehiclefor creating focused attention on theuse of psychodynamic paradigms
and special issues have engageddisciplines as distinct asmathematics education andbusiness studies.2
A brief and unsystematic search ofeducation journals produced thefollowing. A key word search for‘psychoanalytical’ in Theory andResearch In Education producedjust three articles since 1998 and asearch for psychodynamicsproduced a single article. SimilarlyResearch in Higher Educationreturns a single result from 2005.‘Psychodynamics’ produces six hitsin Active Learning in HigherEducation from 2002 on, with fourbeing editorials or book reviews andthe remaining two as articles.
The idea that we engage a varietyof unconscious processes to defendagainst painful and threateningforms of knowledge, ideas,emotions and desires is now afamiliar one. The language ofdefence mechanisms has enteredlay vocabulary. Repression – theattempt to return troublesomeknowledge and anxious feelings tothe unconscious – rationalisation,
ESCalatenews 3
Editorial continued from front page
denial, projection, displacement,identification, these are allreasonably familiar terms in today’sworld. Although psychodynamictheory emerged out of attempts torelieve individual symptoms, it hastranscended its early medical focusto become a powerful lens fordescribing and exploring themotives and behaviour of groupsand organisations in terms offunction and dysfunction, denial,scapegoating, delusional fantasiesand so on.
With a wealth of theorisedknowledge about unconsciousprocesses available to us, it isappropriate to ask how we can useit to enhance our understanding ofteaching and learning and thestudent learning experience.Because psychodynamic theoryallows for a strong emphasis onrelational dynamics, the studentexperience can be explored in termsof relations with others: withindividual staff and peers, inteaching and social groups and thatnebulous other – the organisationthat calls itself a university. �
BibliographyFrench, R. B. (1997) The Teacher asContainer of Anxiety: Psychoanalysis andthe Role of Teacher, Journal ofManagement Education, 21(4): 483-495.
Gabriel, Y. (2001) Emotion, Learning andOrganizational Change: Towards anIntegration of Psychoanalytic and OtherPerspectives, Journal of OrganizationalChange Management, 14(5): 435-451.
1 Various groups have emerged in universities recently, for example The Centre for Psychosocial Studies at University West of England,and centres at Cardiff and Birkbeck
2 The psychodynamics of organisational change management is explored in a special issue of the Journal of Organizational ChangeManagement in 2001 (Vol 14 No5). See also For the Learning of Mathematics. 1993
�
Towards a newpsychology ofstudent learning
The experiment to run a themedissue in the spring proved verypopular. Eddie Gulc, SeniorAdvisor for learning technologiesat the Higher EducationAcademy, did an excellenteditorial job. We return in thisedition to our usual format with avery varied collection of articles.I hope there is something tointerest most people inEducation.
Doug Parkin writes about thepitfalls and joys of being aprogramme assessor and the realpleasure of seeing a skilled teacherat work. Observing a really effectivecolleague working comfortably withtheir discipline knowledge and theirstudents takes the assessmentprocess way beyond the tick boxand into co-experience
The National TeachingFellowship Scheme features twicein this issue. Jenny Moon writesabout using her TeachingFellowship Award to take her toplaces that she could otherwise onlydream of. Jenny was able to travelto Tanzania to contribute to anOxfam project (EQUIP).
We also reveal the results of thecurrent round of Fellowship awardsand warmly congratulate the sevenwinners from Education.
Ron Ritchie discusses theintroduction of self-driven internalknowledge exchange networks atUniversity of the West of Englandand their relationship with the
4 ESCalatenews
� university’s Teaching andAssessment Committee whichcommissions and supports theiractivities.
Tracy Johnson’s piece explainshow the University of Bristolsupports the development ofacademic skills in very diversegroups of students and theparticular needs of internationalstudents at UK universities.
Simon Ball’s article also looks atways of supporting learning.Simon’s contribution is one in ourregular series from TechDis. Simonexplains how to use PDF formatseffectively to support learning.
Mike Calvert used ESCalatefunding to research issues faced byHE and CPD managers arising fromthe governments’ Every ChildMatters (ECM) agenda. In his articlehe discusses some of the researchfindings.
We often read that governmentpolicy on education across thejurisdictions of the UK is creatingfour distinct and increasinglydifferent systems.
In this issue...
Tony BrownDirector
Ian Mentor explores the similaritiesand some peculiarities inherent inteacher education in each country.
Laura Brown’s piece emergesfrom her work with young carers aspart of a support project inPlymouth. Not only are youngcarers the hidden carers – many donot disclose for fear of being bulliedor that their family could be split up– they often get overlooked bygovernment policy and remainexcluded from funding available toadult carers. Laura writes about theshort DVD that she and othershelped this group to make. It isessential viewing for teachers,teacher educators and studentteachers alike. Watch at:http://escalate.ac.uk/4828
In Conversation invitesJulie Hughes to talk about herinterest in technologies for learning.
ESCalatenews 5
Bringing life to the material, a tagline I used a few years ago to spiceup the marketing of a workshop onfacilitation skills, came back to meas I reflected on a thought-provoking teaching session I hadobserved as a programmeassessor. Passing an assessedobservation is one of therequirements of the highly tailoredPostgraduate Certificate in Learningand Teaching (PGCILT) we haveintroduced to support staff in theirformal development as teachers inHigher Education, particularly thosenew to teaching or with littleexperience. The Certificate has alsobeen designed to enable staff todemonstrate their achievement ofthe UK Professional StandardsFramework for Teaching andSupporting Learning in HigherEducation (UKPSF – launched inFebruary 2006).
“It’s a computer practical oninfectious disease modelling…”began the briefing discussion for theobservation. Now, I know objectiveassessment should steer clear ofnarrow assumptions or pre-judgements but I have to confessmy heart sank a little. Nevertheless,duly briefed, I attended computer
teaching room LG31 at the agreedtime. The ‘LG’ stands for Lower
Ground and with banks ofcomputer terminals arranged inrows and a grey light from the streetcombining with the harshfluorescents it wasn’t a setting thatnaturally inspired. However, thetutor did!
So, how? Why? What did shebring to this teaching session, thiscomputer practical, that inspired thestudents to think and learn? Whatdid she do? Well, I managed to ticknearly all the boxes on myassessor’s observation form, fromplanning and a clear introductionthrough to developing the contentand providing a strong conclusion,and I had scribbled enoughcomments, including some ideas forfurther improvement, to makewriting up the feedback a formality.This was good, this was my job andit was what the candidate requiredfor her PGCILT portfolio. But noneof this seemed to really answer thequestion.
The tutor had used some goodtechniques and shown a lot of flair,that was certain. This defied someof the pessimism that arises whenwe look at small-group teaching, the
to the materialDoug Parkin writes about the pitfalls and joys of being a programmeassessor and the real pleasure of seeing a skilled teacher at work.
��
“So, how? Why?What did she bringto this teachingsession, this computerpractical, that inspiredthe students to thinkand learn?”
Bringing life
role of the tutor as a facilitator oflearning and the power of discussionfor transformative developmentduring our core learning and teachingworkshops. Applying statistical toolsand techniques to consider, analysingand interpreting information andgenerating right answers is assumedby some, particularly those new toteaching in this area, to be essentiallynon-discursive and therefore an area
6 ESCalatenews
better suited to an ‘instruction andpractice’ model than one of‘facilitation and discussion’. It seemsto me there is an assumptionunderlying this view that someacademic disciplines are moreabout right answers than others.Or are we perhaps getting confusedwith the process of generatingreliable data, the mechanics of adiscipline, that provides thefoundation for learning anddiscovery? In any event, the questfor knowledge and understanding,the ‘right answers’ that lead usirrevocably on to the next question,is surely common to all academicstudy and research. And valuing theprocess of discussion, combiningpurposeful activity with activeparticipation (Entwistle et al, 1992),is key to achieving this.
We are familiar with the idea of aspectrum of facilitation styles(Heron, 1999) that can be more orless directive based on factors suchas the learners’ needs andmotivation; the level of autonomy orreliance in the learning group; thetime and resources available, and soon. This makes good sense andprovides a valuable guide to thechoices tutors make as they enableand support student learning.However, this session really broughthome to me the importance of skilfulquestioning to elicit information,stimulate involvement and promptlearning.
“Ok, what did the people in this rowcome up with?”
“Fine. Which figure did you use asthe denominator?”
“Ok, who agrees?”
“Anything different?”
�
“Beautiful chainsof questions thatenabled the studentsto progress throughto the solutions andconclusions as aproduct of their ownthinking. And withenergy, interest andenthusiasm, and areal interrogationof the process.”
ESCalatenews 7
Doug Parkin,Staff and EducationalDevelopmentManager,London School ofHygiene and TropicalMedicine, UK.
“Interesting. So, how does thecalculation change if you use thosetwo figures combined?”
“It specifies a larger group butpotentially reduces the significance.Good. Why would that matter…?”
“And what can we learn from that?”
…and on they went. Beautiful chainsof questions that enabled thestudents to progress through to thesolutions and conclusions as aproduct of their own thinking. Andwith energy, interest andenthusiasm, and a real interrogationof the process, its merits andshortcomings. A strong vein runningthrough the questioning was aquerying of the real-worldsignificance and impact. This wasdone with a combination of humourand intensity which addedconsiderably to the learnerengagement:
“What problems would arise if wewere to apply the same assumptionsregarding the number of sexualpartners to a group in a differentsocial context?”
“How about us? How would it bedifferent for us?” (laughter)
“OK, so what adjustments would weneed to consider? ”
“Right, well that accounts for onedifference, but are there others? Ihope there are…” (more laughter)
“Good. So, can we combine thosevariances or should we deal withthem separately?”
I approximate the sequence ofquestions from my recollections, andprobably do it small justice, but Ihope this gives a flavour.
So, by any standards some greatfacilitation skills were employed andthis took the session way beyond theright-answers boundary that mightotherwise have been the limit of thiscomputer practical. A deeper level ofengagement was achieved asstudents worked “to make personalmeaning with and out of the sharedmeanings available” (Light and Cox,2001, p.49). However, this still doesnot fully explain the life that the tutorclearly brought to the learning in thissession. And as I pondered this mytag line came back to me: bringinglife to the material. There issomething about the personalinvestment a tutor like this makes in asession that goes beyond merelyshowing enthusiasm. It combines abelief in the students’ ability tosucceed in their learning with aninfectious, projected fascination forthe subject. It brings life to thesession and the material, and asense of empowerment that willenable many of the students to go onlearning confidently as they engagewith other parts of the curriculum andtheir own private study.
Perhaps another tick box is neededon the teaching observation form:something to do with developingeffective learning environments (oneof the six areas of activity in theUKPSF) through personal exampleand inspiration. How intimidatingwould that be for even the mostexperienced of us? In any event, wewould struggle to define this elusivequality. You have to see it andexperience it, and realise that there ismore going on than merely showingenthusiasm, modelling keybehaviours and professionalism. It’ssomething akin to turning a handful ofdusty seeds into a bed of thrivingroses – bringing life to the material.
References:• Entwistle, N.J., Thompson,
S. and Tait, H. (1992)Guidelines for PromotingEffective Learning in HigherEducation, University ofEdinburgh: Centre forResearch on Learning andInstruction
• Heron, J. (1999), TheComplete Facilitator’sHandbook. Kogan-Page,London.
• Light, G. and Cox, R.(2001), Learning andTeaching in HigherEducation: The ReflectiveProfessional. PaulChapman Publishing(SAGE).
• UKPSF – UK ProfessionalStandards Framework forTeaching and SupportingLearning in HigherEducation,www.heacademy.ac.uk/ourwork/policy/framework
8 ESCalatenews
academic skills with adiverse student body
Developing
The Student Development Unit atthe University of Bristol hastrained over one thousandstudents in key and academicskills during the current academicyear. This represents a significantnumber of students voluntarilyseeking skills training outside ofthe discipline-specific curriculum,and 52% of those attending wereinternational students. We havelearned important lessons fromrunning workshops on manytopics including critical thinking,reading skills and academic
writing. As well as being relevantto orientating internationalstudents in terms of what theycan expect at a UK university,these courses have broaderapplications to the ways in whichacademic skills are delivered to anincreasingly diverse student body.
International student feedbackon these workshops showed itwas “a good start to get to knowhow to study in the UK”, “it helpsto know exactly what we need tobe doing”, and “even if you knowalready how to criticise and
analytically think it is useful toclarify the processes you’ve beenusing”.
It seems obvious, perhaps,that students entering the UKhigher education system with adifferent pedagogical backgroundneed some orientation in what toexpect and what will be expectedof them; there is a growing bodyof research, for example, on theteaching of students from aConfucian educational contextwho seem to experience difficultyengaging with critical Western
Tracy Johnson of the University of Bristol explains how the university supports thedevelopment of academic skills in diverse groups of students and the particularneeds of international students at UK universities.
�
ESCalatenews 9
“We have learned important lessons fromrunning workshops on many topics includingcritical thinking, reading skills and academicwriting. As well as being relevant toorientating international students in terms ofwhat they can expect at a UK university, thesecourses have broader applications to the waysin which academic skills are delivered to anincreasingly diverse student body.”
10 ESCalatenews
styles of thinking.1 But if theother 48% of participantsattending these sessions arehome students, what is theirpurpose in seeking academicskills training outside of theirdepartment?
Looking at the feedbackreceived from home students,their aim is evidently very similarto that of their internationalcolleagues: to betterunderstand what is required ofthem to gain the marks thatthey want to achieve and todevelop their critical thinkingskills. They said: “it hasimproved my confidence andattitude towards essays” and,crucially, it “provides usefulinformation that is not taught inlectures”.
Students seeking supportwith academic skillsdevelopment can be referreddirectly to the StudentDevelopment Unit workshops.Others work with support staffwho are invited to deliveracademic skills workshopswithin departments, rather thanacademic skills developmentbeing addressed by stafflecturing on subject-specificcontent. What has resulted is asituation where the skills that allstudents require to carry outtheir academic work effectivelyand with confidence havebecome such an implicit aspectof degree study that they have,
�
arguably, become invisible. Thestrategy of the academic skillsworkshops is to abstract thetechniques required for successfulstudy, making them more explicit,and encourage students to reflecton their practice and relate thesetechniques to their discipline-specific contexts. The workshopsalso encourage PersonalDevelopment Planning (PDP)processes, such as goal setting andreviewing progress to facilitate thisreflection.
When a series of study skillslectures was arranged as a pilotscheme within one academicdepartment, to better link study
“Looking at the feedback received fromhome students, their aim is evidentlyvery similar to that of their internationalcolleagues: to better understand whatis required of them to gain the marksthat they want to achieve and todevelop their critical thinking skills.”
skills to the teaching of content,teaching staff were honest in statingthat they felt confident in deliveringsubject knowledge but felt thatacademic skills was a different areaof ‘expertise’. Markers know whata good essay looks like when theysee one, but articulating theprocess involved in producing agood piece of academic writing is achallenge, particularly when, foracademics, writing in this way hasbecome second nature andtransparent. According to Cortazziand Jin, “[F]or skilled practitioners –such as academic staff – manyaspects seem obvious but arerarely made explicit” [1997: 77], and
ESCalatenews 11
Dr Tracy Johnson Education Support UnitUniversity of Bristol
we are in danger of trying to ‘teachto ourselves’. This is a particularproblem when we start to factor inthe sheer diversity of the studentscurrently in our classroom: atpresent, 16% of Bristol’s currentstudent body are overseasstudents, 12.9% are from low-performing schools, 7% are maturestudents and 14% are drawn fromthe lowest social classes.2
Therefore, the principal lessonwe have learned in introducinginternational students to UKpedagogy is that we need to makeeducational expectations andtechniques more explicit to ourentire student body. New initiativescombining the work of staff in theUniversity’s International Office,Student Development Unit andEducation Support Unit have seena successful new programme ofintroductory seminars on academicskills for incoming overseasstudents, and an innovative newprogramme of Introductory Weekskills sessions and a supportingstudy skills booklet was madeavailable to all incoming first yearstudents at the start of the 2007/08academic year. The second lessonis that we should not be teachingthis pedagogy from our own limitedperspective on what ‘works’ withregard to academic skills, butrather explain what gains marks
References:Bodenhorn, Nancy, DeCarlaJackson, Angela and Farrell,Rebecca, Increasing PersonalCultural Awareness ThroughDiscussions With InternationalStudents, International Journalof Teaching and Learning inHigher Education, 2005, 17:1,63-68.
Cortazzi, Martin and Lixian Jin,Communication for learningacross cultures, in McNamara,David and Harris, Robert (eds)(1997) Overseas Students inHigher Education: Issues inTeaching and Learning(London: Routledge).
Todd, Elizabeth S., Supervisingoverseas students: problem oropportunity, in McNamara,David and Harris, Robert (eds)(1997) Overseas Students inHigher Education: Issues inTeaching and Learning(London: Routledge).
Trahar, Sheila (2007) Teachingand learning: the internationalhigher education landscape –some theories and workingpractices (Bristol: ESCalate).
and what doesn’t and thenencourage students to relate this totheir own educational backgroundand practice, building on what theyalready know and constructing theirown methods for learning. In thisway, we acknowledge our students’difference and diversity, whethercultural, social or educational, andencourage them to value the skillsthat they have already developed tosucceed in gaining a universityplace.
The real challenge remaining forany member of staff engaged inteaching academic skills is to stepoutside of their cultural, social andeducational ‘continuum’, becomingmore aware of the values andassumptions that have shapedthem, and which are often taken forgranted: “[T]he first step inunderstanding others [is] anunderstanding of self, one’s ownculture and worldview” [Bodenhornet al, 2005: 63]. In this way, weavoid becoming “disciplinespecialists who […] may notnecessarily be skilled incommunicating what they do”[Todd, 1997: 184], and developmore inclusive teaching thatacknowledges student diversityand fosters the development ofacademic skills that are relevantand useful to everyone in theclassroom.
1 A good place to start is Sheila Trahar’s discussion paper Teaching and learning: the internationalhigher education landscape, available from ESCalate, which contains many useful references.
2 Source: www.bris.ac.uk/ssio/studentdata/statistics/new_matrix/index_wp_html Accessed: June4th 2008.
12 ESCalatenews
I want to:1. Encourage interest in and
awareness of the power of ‘homeinternational’ comparative studiesin teacher education in the UK
2. Identify some of the key similaritiesand differences in approaches toITE across the UK and to offersome tentative explanations forthese patterns.
I will start by outlining some featuresof home international studies beforesuggesting one theme thatcharacterises UK teacher educationas a whole. I will then identify someof the peculiarities in each country –and it is my view that while all fourcountries may be a bit peculiar thebalance of evidence is that Englandis more peculiar than the others!
This is an edited version of the keynote speech given byIan Menter at the ESCalate ITE Conference in May 2008
the peculiarities ofthe English – andof the Welsh, NorthernIrish and Scottish!
Teacher education in the UK:
I have a deep interest in InitialTeacher Education that I want toshare with you. I believe thatthrough examination of anynation’s approach to ITE we mayactually gain wider insight into thewhole of that country’s educationsystem and indeed gain evendeeper insights into the culture andvalues that prevail in that nation.
ESCalatenews 13
Home internationalcomparative studiesThe power of home internationalshas been well demonstrated by,amongst others, David Raffe at theCentre for Educational Sociology atthe University of Edinburgh.Contemporary comparativists arevery keen to stress the significanceof ‘context sensitivity’ – that is theywarn us not to make simplisticcomparisons between nations, butalways to seek to understandparticular phenomena in the contextof the history and culture – orhistories and cultures – of thesocieties being examined.
Border skirmishes are part of thehistory of these islands. Suchborder skirmishes are no less afeature of teacher education than ofother aspects of social and culturallife. One of the issues for Wales hasbeen the numbers of teachers who,upon qualification, seekemployment in England. Sincedevolution this has become a muchmore loaded issue. And of coursethere have been issues aboutschool experience for students –whether they should be allowed tocross borders and whether thatexperience can be recognised aspart of an accredited programme ornot.
There is also the question ofscale in home international studies.Are we comparing like with like?England’s population is more than25 times that of Northern Ireland’s.England’s 435,000 teacherscontrasts with about 50,000 inScotland. Wales has sevenproviders of initial teacher
education, while ITT in England isprovided by 76 Higher EducationInstitutions, over 60 School-CentreITT schemes (several of which arein HEIs), numerous EmploymentBased Routes and Teach First.
Standards in TeacherEducationIn ‘standards’ we have a keyexample of similarity between thenations, albeit with somedifference, that is indicative ofconvergence across the UK.Competence-based models are inoperation across the whole UK.‘Professional standards’ (Englandand Wales), ‘benchmarks’(Scotland) or ‘competencestatements’ (Northern Ireland). Inall four countries the standardsbroadly address: (1) professionalvalues and practice; (2)professional knowledge andunderstanding; and (3)professional skills and abilities.These umbrella terms, however,fail to capture the local history ofstruggle over what constitutes‘professionalism’ or‘professionalisation’ in eachcountry.
The TDA documents forEngland offer a more ‘restricted’version of professionalism than isevident in the documents of thedevolved countries. The Englishstandards do not make explicitreference to the wider communityand place an emphasis onbeginning teachers’ capacity tointerpret and apply the statutoryrequirements of the NationalCurriculum.
The peculiarities of theEnglishAt the risk of over simplification,I suggest some headlines thatindicate some of the distinctivefeatures of each country, startingwith England.
• Partnership has been verythoroughly developed
• There is a distinctive diversity ofroutes of entry (with varying levelsof HE involvement)
• ‘Skills tests’ (in numeracy, literacyand ICT) only exist in England.
“I believe that throughexamination of anynation’s approach toITE we may actuallygain wider insight intothe whole of thatcountry’s educationsystem and indeedgain even deeperinsights into theculture and valuesthat prevail in thatnation.”
�
14 ESCalatenews
ProfessorIan MenterUniversity of Glasgow
�
The peculiarities of the Scots• A guaranteed induction year for
newly qualified teachers• The opportunity to follow the
Chartered Teacher programmeafter a few years in teaching
• The GTCS plays a highlysignificant role in accreditation ofprogrammes as well as in theregistration of teachers (though isthis maintaining quality orembedding conservatism?)
• There is not (yet) a system wideapproach to partnership.
The peculiarities of theNorthern Irish• The current provision for teacher
education reflects the historicdivisions of the society
• There has been huge demand forstudent places at the same timeas there is an abundance ofqualified teachers
• While the idea of the three I’s(initial, induction, in-service)developed here, it is not reflectedin a systemic approach topartnership.
The peculiarities of theWelsh• Current developments, with
GTC Cymru taking a leading roleinclude a systematic approach toEarly Professional Development,with a grant for induction and forCPD
• A Chartered Teacher schemepilot
• Welsh language provision isfundamental in ITT
• Restructuring and reduction ofthe number of training places.
Questions emerging fromthis reviewFirstly, the policy context andinstitutional arrangements in eachcountry appear to be significant.Why is there no TDA or Ofstedoutside England? Why does theEnglish GTC have such limitedpowers, certainly in comparisonwith Scotland, but alsoincreasingly by comparison withWales and Northern Ireland? And,in the development of policy onteacher education there appearsto be great variation in the extentto which practitioners andresearchers are involved.
Secondly, there are questionsto be asked about conceptions ofteaching as a research-basedprofession. The RAE has hadsome invidious divisive effects oneducation faculties, for examplebetween the old and the newuniversities and the very smallproportion of student teacherswho are studying in institutionsthat receive funding foreducational research. There isalso a tendency for England todominate in the research agendaalthough across all fourjurisdictions there is someindication of the (re-)emergence ofaction research within teachereducation.
Thirdly, there is a clear need formore teacher education research –both national and homeinternational but also international.There have been very few largescale studies in recent years,although there has been a growthin small-scale work.
Teachers for the 21st CenturyWhat we have in the UK is a kind ofeducation research anddevelopment laboratory.The GTCs are working pretty welltogether and the governments of thethree smaller nations also talk toeach other quite a lot. In thesesmaller countries there is a closersense of community withineducation, including teachereducation. There is a greater senseof trust between politicians,policymakers and practitioners.But there is also a higher standingfor state education within thesesocieties, a continuing belief ineducation as a social good and as akey element in a meritocratic andinclusive democracy (and one mightnote in passing, less enthusiasm forprivate education).
Is this an argument for Englishregionalism – or may it rather be acall for continuing to develop betterrelationships and to build up thesuccessful aspects of partnershipdevelopment?
ESCalatenews 15
TechDis Accessibility Essentials 4:
The TechDis AccessibilityEssentials Guide on making themost of PDFs has been designedto provide step-by-step informationto enable anyone creating or usingPortable Document Format (PDF)documents to do so in a moreaccessible manner.
These hints and tips will benefitthose who create PDF documentsusing scanned materials or wordprocessed documents, or receive aPDF version of publicity materialsfrom a graphic designer.
Accessibility Essentials 4 isavailable online and in hard copy atno charge (a fee may be chargedfor bulk orders), and issupplemented by web-based
guidance including hints and tipsfor screen reader users, bestpractice case studies and acomparison of some free PDFsoftware.
The use of the techniquesdescribed here will aid people witha wide range of disabilities, needsand preferences to get more fromwritten content by highlighting thepotential benefits of PDF formatand enabling documents to becreated with these in mind. Thesetechniques will have benefits (andpossibly barriers) for differentgroups of learners and it isimportant to consider the needs ofthe specific learners and adapt thematerials as necessary.
This is the fourth in a series of articles written forESCalate, giving practical advice about how to improveaspects of your practice to benefit all learners.
TechDis
Making theMost of PDFs
A few highlightsfrom the Guide areincluded here asa flavour of thefull document.
�
Building Accessibilityinto Existing PDFsThis section looks at techniquesfor ensuring that existing PDFdocuments are as accessible aspossible (these functions areavailable in Adobe® AcrobatProfessional but may not beavailable in all software).
• The Accessibility Check –this section is highlightedin more detail on page 16
• Adding Tags and Structureto PDFs
• PDFs and Bookmarks
• PDFs and Images
• PDFs and Tables
Adding Tags andStructure to PDFsIf the source document hasbeen properly created usingstyles and headings these willbe carried over when thedocument is converted toPDF format. However if youdo not have access to thesource document or it wasnot well structured, it ispossible to clear the existingstructure and add theappropriate tags. This can bea lengthy process if you areworking with a longdocument.
16 ESCalatenews
�
Running the Accessibility Check
• Navigate to Advanced > Accessibility > Fullcheck. The dialogue box seen in Figure 1 willappear.
• Make sure the 'Create Accessibility Report' and'Include repair hints in the Accessibility Report'boxes are checked.
• Select the appropriate range to be checked andclick 'Start Checking'.
• This will produce a dialogue box giving a briefoverview of any problems found. Clicking 'OK' inthis box will produce a full report giving links toany problem areas of the document andinstructions for amending these areas.
Typically the Accessibility Check will find at leasttwo problems; that the text lacks a languagespecification and that there is no reading order.Instructions on how to address these are given inAccessibility Essentials 4.
Figure 1. Accessibility Check Dialogue Box
TechDis
Clearing the existingdocument structureThis may be necessary if the sourcedocument was not structuredappropriately and an entirely newstructure is needed.It is important to note that anyexisting tags will be erased, leavinga completely unstructured page.• Navigate to Advanced >
Accessibility > TouchUp ReadingOrder. The dialogue box seen inFigure 2 will be displayed.
• Select ‘Clear Page Structure’. • A dialogue box will prompt you
to check whether you want toclear all structure from thedocument. Click ‘Yes’.
Figure 2. Touch Up Reading
Order Dialogue Box
ESCalatenews 17
Dr Simon BallSenior AdvisorTechDis Service
TechDis supports the educationsector in achieving greateraccessibility and inclusion bystimulating innovation andproviding expert advice andguidance on disability andtechnology. TechDis is aJISC-funded advisory service.For more information go towww.techdis.ac.uk.
User Personalisation of Adobe® ReaderThis section covers techniques that the reader can use to amend thelook and feel of a PDF document so that it is best suited to them. Pleasenote that many of these functions are only available in Adobe® Reader;users will not necessarily be able to access the same functions whenreading a PDF in a web browser or other PDF reader software.
• Personalised Font and Background Colours – this section covershow users can change the background and font colours to suit theirpersonal requirements.
• Enlarging the Text Size – this section covers the use of the zoomfunction to enlarge the text size of a document.
• Document Navigation – this section covers using the Bookmark andPages views to quickly navigate through a document. It also coversthe Find and Search functions which allow users to search thecurrent and other documents for particular information.
• Alternative Views – Adobe® Reader allows users to reflow text,enabling columns to be arranged into continuous text and magnifiedtext to fit into the window without the need for horizontal scrolling,scroll through a document automatically and have specifiedsections, pages or a whole document read aloud. This sectionshows users how to make use of these alternative views.
AccessibilityEssentials 4This is the fourth publication inthe Accessibility EssentialsSeries, with other titlescovering:• Making Electronic
Documents More Readable• Writing Accessible
Electronic Documents withMicrosoft® Word
• Creating AccessiblePresentations
For more information or toobtain this or the otherdocuments in the AccessibilityEssentials Series seewww.techdis.ac.uk/accessibilityessentialsor contact us [email protected].
Adding structureOnce the existing reading orderhas been cleared a new structurecan be added. To define the newstructure:• Navigate to Advanced >
Accessibility > TouchUpReading Order.
• Using the mouse, select thearea to be tagged.
• Click on the appropriatebutton. For example to makethe selected text into a mainheading, click the 'Heading 1'button. This will tag theselection as a particular typeof content.
• Reading order is determinedby the order in which thecontent is tagged, i.e. the firsttagged item will be the firstitem in the reading order.
TechDis
Each item is labelled with anumber corresponding to thereading order of the document(see Figure 3).
• Mistakes in the reading ordercan be rectified by draggingand dropping the numbers tothe appropriate place.
Figure 3. Highlighting text and
allocating Heading level to set
Reading Order
18 ESCalatenews
Learner-centrednessand theclass of 130Dr Jenny Moon writes about how her TeachingFellow award helped her to travel to Tanzania andtake part in an Oxfam Project (EQUIP).
ESCalatenews 19
The focus of the project is toimprove pupil learning by initiativesthat support the teachers in theirteaching. The underlyingphilosophy is to engineer a shiftfrom the teacher or curriculum-centredness of traditionaleducation, to a learner-centrededucation. The traditional methodsare epitomised by ‘chalk and talk’where the teacher writes notes onthe board, and children copy them.The project sought to get learnersparticipating and actively involvedand it sought to institute a
I stood in the midday sun today,feeling puny white and strugglingwith how I should feel in the midstof three hundred primary schoolchildren who were singing andclapping for us. All were in schooluniform but many danced on thebaking dust without shoes. Itseemed that they all had brighteyes and round smiles but a closerlook at the uniform showed shirtsthat must have been worn byseveral older siblings, and skirts onseven year olds bought to last forsix years. This is professionaldevelopment for me? Ifprofessional development andpersonal development coincide thiswas some of the most importantprofessional development in mylife. I keep thinking that I feelprivileged to be here – but what isthe sense of privilege – looking onpoverty and the effects of drought?
I am here because I wanted touse some of the National TeachingFellowship award to get involvedwith some education work in thethird world , and Oxfam have givenme this opportunity. I am workingon a Primary School project in ruralTanzania (EQUIP) for three weeks,mainly helping the local projectworkers to structure thedocumentation of the project inorder to promote its uptake in otherareas of the country. The singingchildren were in a poor ruralschool. The track to the schoolwas for foot or bicycle. Normally nocars come near it. At this midday,few children would be havinglunch. �
“I am herebecause I wantedto use some of theNational TeachingFellowship awardto get involvedwith someeducation work inthe third world,and Oxfam havegiven me thisopportunity.”
recognition that learning happenseverywhere and that the teacher isnot the sole possessor ofknowledge. The hurdles are highand many but there has been anoticeable shift. In the EQUIP projectschools, it seems that everyone ishappier – they remember how itwas. More children are passingStandard 7, and going on toSecondary Schools – if their parentscan afford the uniform and shoes,and can allow for them not to beworking.
For the first day or two inTanzania, I was in the Oxfam officein Dar-es-Salaam, learning about theproject and then we flew north toShinyanga. I met the ProgrammeOfficers with whom I would beworking and over the next threedays, was taken on visits to schools.We talked with teachers, headteachers, pupils, the schoolcommittees (governors). Theconversations were translated forme from Swahili, though the projectteam works in English. I kept writingover those days, endeavouring tomake sense of it all in order todevelop a three day course ondocumentation that I ran thefollowing week. Everyone works veryhard here.
Teachers worked hard in theirEQUIP training too. In their vacationsand at weekends, all teachers in theproject schools have undertaken aseries of modules over twenty fourdays on learner-centredapproaches, some techniques forparticipatory learning (groupwork,discussions, brain-storming and so
on), some subject specific work andways of developing resources fromthe local environment (seeds, sand,building with cassava paste andshredded paper and so on), andhow to get learners involved inthese processes.
The teacher’s modules are runby trainers, who also haveundergone training as trainers.Trainers are trained teachers whohave implemented what theylearned particularly well. They areeducated as trainers by Collegetutors. Also supporting the systemare mentors (also selected fromtrained teachers) who also undergomentor and coaching training. Theymeet the trained teachers on aregular basis to discuss theimplementation of the new ideas.Some of the training work is done innewly built Teachers ResourceCentres which provide some moreresources, a room for meetings andsometimes a computer andphotocopier – though outside thetown there is no electricity.
I mentioned hurdles. I watched aforty minute lesson on fractions.There were 130 children in the smallroom, often four to a desk. There
20 ESCalatenews
Dr Jenny MoonUniversity ofBournemouthand IndependentConsultant
were bare grey walls and a roughconcrete floor. The class was‘doubled up’ because of the seventeachers in the school, three areaway. The teacher showed us howhe was involving the children,getting them to come and write onthe board and asking themquestions and he used sticks fromoutside to demonstrate fractions.These may seem little things, butthey are different from the traditionalways.
Other hurdles are that manychildren do not get anything to eatduring the day. There aregovernment moves afoot to instituteschool feeding. Oxfam started it butit is extremely expensive and doesnot bring about sustainabledevelopment. A previous Oxfamproject ensured that there is waterat the school to allay thirst in thisarea of drought and some work wasdone on buildings and sanitation.
HIV/AIDS affects one in ten ofthe population and teachers andchildren are lost to the systemthrough their own infection. Thingsare harder for girls who maybecome pregnant, are more oftenaffected by HIV/AIDS and in
traditional families may be seen asdowries and not worthy ofeducation.
There are so many difficulties andthere is so much to do. How couldthere be anything that UK teacherscould wish of this system? But thereis one thing – and I think that withoutit, none of this project work inTanzania could happen. Pupils donot talk or mess around or fidget orprod each other into misbehaviour,but they attend to the teacher. Theysit and listen, even in their fours,squashed at one desk. They showrespect for their teachers and theyseem to be appreciating that theirteachers are themselves so muchhappier now. This compliance isessential in a class of 130 children(the average class size is 70), eventhough it somewhat flies in the faceof a truly learner-centred system. Ihave some concerns that this is a bitof a honeymoon period during whichthe compliant behaviour of thetraditional classroom has not getsubsided within the system thatshould really support more livelinessin the classrooms.
I will be on my way back out ofthe sun soon – and am stillwondering what I mean by‘privileged’.
�
ESCalatenews 21
One of the key strategic priorities ofthe University of the West of England(UWE) is enhancing the studentexperience. Another is to positionthe university as one that makes asignificant contribution throughknowledge exchange, especiallywith external partners, institutions,agencies and organisations. Theinitiative outlined in this article linksboth of these priorities.
Concerns about the studentexperience, especially with regard toassessment and feedback issues,result from UWE’s internalmonitoring and evaluationprocesses, including studentevaluation data and through theNational Student Survey.
Professor Ron Ritchiediscusses the introductionof self-driven internalknowledge exchangenetworks at the Universityof the West of Englandand their relationship withthe University’s Teachingand Learning Committeewhich commissions andsupports their activities.
Developing andenhancing learningand teaching through an internalknowledge exchangenetwork
The University has focused onthese concerns for some time andhas, for example, established aminimum entitlement to feedbackstatement as part of itsassessment policy and introduceda university-wide ‘graduatedevelopment programme’(see www.uwe.ac.uk/gdp) ) forall undergraduate students.More recently, a new Learning,Teaching and AssessmentStrategy has been developed thatestablishes values which underpinour approaches. The strategysignals a commitment to thelearning of all members of theuniversity community (studentsand staff) and, of particular �
relevance to the initiative below, acommitment to assessment for, notmerely of, learning (in other words,to formative as well as summativepurposes of assessment andfeedback).
One of the key enablingapproaches proposed in theStrategy was the creation of a UWEInternal Knowledge ExchangeNetwork (IKEN) to promote thedevelopment of pedagogic practiceand research across the University.For a university keen to engage inknowledge exchange and the co-construction of knowledge withothers externally, it seemedimportant to model such processesinternally – sharing and learning fromeach other as we cumulatively
22 ESCalatenews
construct improved understanding ofour practices and how they might beenhanced.
The governance of UWE IKEN isunder the auspices of theUniversity’s Learning, Teaching andAssessment Committee (LTAC).LTAC commissions and supportsactivities which focus on identifiedpriorities but the networks are self-driven. UWE IKEN thereforeoperates both within and beyondUWE’s formal structures. In somerespects, it promotes the idea of alearning community. It provides‘safe’ spaces for discussions andexploration of practice and issues,and allows ‘sanctioned behaviour’,innovation and risk taking to buildconfidence in colleagues to
implement change and developpractice. Self-evaluation and localaccountability of UWE IKENactivities are encouraged, asopposed to ‘policing’ by LTAC.
The first ‘node’ of UWE IKEN hasfocused on ‘assessment feedback’(interpreted very broadly andcovering student expectations,engagement and staff-studentrelationships). A group ofapproximately 20 volunteerassessment feedback champions(AFCs) from across all faculties,some working in speciallyestablished enquiry groups, werebrought together. A stimulus for theestablishment of the AFCs was aUWE-wide seminar (September2007) to share assessment
�
“For a university keen toengage in knowledgeexchange and the co-construction ofknowledge with othersexternally, it seemedimportant to model suchprocesses internally –sharing and learningfrom each other as wecumulatively constructimproved understandingof our practices and howthey might beenhanced.”
ESCalatenews 23
ProfessorRon RitchieAssistant Vice-Chancellorand Dean of the Schoolof Education, Universityof the West of England
practices. Some of the enquirygroups were school or faculty-based, others had mixed member-ship. Each AFC drafted an enquiryproposal which was made availableto the wider university to encourageothers to join groups. The initialAFCs were organised into threeclusters involving groups with similarinterests (formative approaches;expectations; and practices) andeach cluster was supported by acoordinator (a colleague fromcentral services such as the libraryand IT services) who had access tosome university-provided resource.The groups meet regularly andshare ideas and practices through aspecially created site on the intranet(for all staff) and the use ofSharePoint (Microsoft®) for work inprogress (for those activelyinvolved). The intranet site is alsowhere we have built up a‘knowledge resource’ of materialslocally generated and from externalsources (added to when, forexample, participants attendconferences, local events areorganised with external speakers orparticipants come across materialsduring their enquiries and, ofcourse, linking to HEA materials).Some of the networking involvesface-to-face discussions,sometimes recorded and madeavailable to others, and sometimesthrough virtual online means. Asnew examples of practice andinterested colleagues fromacademic and professional support
staff are identified, they are added tothe network. Students have beenactively involved in developmentsand in some groups. The cluster co-ordinators meet regularly to fostercross-cluster learning. Currently,IKEN is overseen by the author (inhis AVC role) with invaluable supportfrom a member of the AcademicRegistry.
Regular reports are made toLTAC and e-bulletins are widelycirculated. As AVC, the authormeets and communicates withmembers of faculty leadershipteams with learning and teachingresponsibilities to sharedevelopments and encouragefaculty-based activities which havemore impact over time.
A variety of events are beingplanned to further disseminate theoutcomes of the activities takingplace. These will be organised, inpart, alongside the dissemination ofa recent formal internal academicaudit process which also focusedon feedback and elicited views andexperiences from faculty executiveteams, academic staff and students.This formal quality assurance andenhancement process comp-lemented the more ‘organic’development of IKEN activities.
Since the successfulestablishment of the first node, newones are being developed on work-based learning and employabilityand on sustainability. Further nodeswill be added as LTAC identifiesfuture priorities.
In many respects, the IKEN isat an early stage of development,but there are indications of itsimpact and evidence suggeststhat it is encouraging moresharing and co-development ofpractice than was previously thecase. There have beenchallenges, especially related tofinding ways of distilling the hugeamount of material available andmaking it accessible to busyacademics. Another relates tocolleagues protecting time fordevelopmental activities. Thedegree of engagement andactivity amongst AFCs and the‘buy in’ of others are variable aswould be expected. There is anongoing issue of influencingthose who were described byone associate dean as ‘the hardto reach’. However, the moreexamples there are of the positiveoutcomes of such investment oftime, the more other people arelikely to commit to enquiries as ameans of furthering their ownlearning and engaging inknowledge exchange with others,for transformative purposesaimed at enhancing the students’learning experiences.
The Every Child Matters (ECM)initiative of the UK governmentrepresents arguably the biggestchange to the organisation ofprovision for children since the 1944Education Act. The changes ofstructure, culture and workingpractices affect all those who workwith young people from 0-19. TheClimbié case exposed manyweaknesses in the system throughthe fragmented support of Children’sServices (see Kirk and Broadhead inUCET, 2007).
The Green Paper (DfES, 2003) setout a wider picture of deprivation andinequality resulting, amongst otherthings, in growing gaps inachievement, disengagement witheducation, social exclusion and anincreased risk of offending. The EveryChild Matters policywww.everychildmatters.gov.uk)considered the potential social andeconomic benefits of bringingconvergence across all of the
24 ESCalatenews
organisations that make upChildren’s Services across the LocalAuthorities (LA) in England and hasrequired them to restructure so as toenable the integration of educationand social services provision linkedto the ‘five year strategy’ (DfES,2004). The emphasis was on workingtogether and making earlyinterventions to ensure the fiveaspects of child development andprotection were being met: beinghealthy; staying safe; enjoying andachieving; making a positivecontribution; economic wellbeing.
A newly created major agencyresponsible for developing Children’sServices is the Children’s WorkforceDevelopment Council (CWDC)(www.cwdcouncil.org.uk). TheCWDC has pioneered the goal ofachieving an Integrated QualificationsFramework (IQF), so as to provideclear progression career routesacross existing professional barriersin Children’s Services.
ECM: Staff Development and HE In order to examine some of theissues facing HE and CPDmanagers more specifically,ESCalate-funded research viatelephone interviews was carriedout with key members of theCWDC and this has identified arange of aspects of whichinstitutions need to be aware(Coombs & Calvert, 2007).
The following summary of keyissues is offered although a fullerversion is available elsewhere(Coombs & Calvert, 2008):
• How to provide a smoothtransition across the currentvocational and academicqualifications divide, i.e.between the academic degreelevels and the NationalQualifications Framework (NQF)(Coombs, 2006). Whilst there isrough equivalency betweenthese levels, there is as yet noautomatic progression and
some issues for CPD
Meeting the ECMagenda in HE:
This ESCalate-funded project helped Dr Mike Calvert and Dr Steve Coombs researchissues faced by HE and CPD Managers arising from the Every Child Matters agenda.
A background to Every Child Matters
ESCalatenews 25
straightforward universallyaccepted accreditation of priorlearning (APL) across thiseducation and trainingphilosophical divide.
• Possibly linked to this is theperennial relationshipbetween vocational courses(e.g. NVQs) with their levels ofcompetency and practical feel,compared to the more criticalmodels of participantengagement that are commonlyexpected in most HEpostgraduate provision .
• The need for an IntegratedQualifications Framework(IQF) to rationalise themultiplicity of qualifications,ease progression, and transferin and across the variousprofessional sectors and leadto recognition for both genericand specific skills at a range oflevels.
• Linked to the above is thecreation of ‘transfer courses’to enable parts of the workforceto be equally recognised inother professions and to provide‘joined up training’.
• One of the main challenges is toreduce the plethora ofdiverse qualifications and‘encourage awarding bodies toseek mutual recognition of priorlearning and/or experience’(CWDC, 2006).
• A further factor which mightaffect HE is the likelihood thatthe primary focus of the IQFmay well be to prioritisedeveloping the lower levelsof qualifications initially wherethe processes ‘are morestraightforward’ according toEmma Westcott of the GTCE.
• A number of issues relate totraining provision. Ennals(Chair of Children’s Workforce
Network) notes that there is“too much variability at alllevels of training and not enoughof a strategic overview of whatthere is in order to make moresense of it”. The pressingissues would appear to be:a) that new skills and knowledge(particularly leadership andmanagement in relation to inter-agency working) are required;b) that appropriate trainers/educators might be difficult tofind (and who trains thetrainers?); c) there is the issueof the needs of ‘Phase 1’training (for those in directcontact) and ‘Phase 2’, forthose who are in intermittentcontact; and, d) a lack of clarityas to what the wider workforcerequires and the difficulty ofknowing what courses will befunded (and by whom) andadopted by whom and inwhat way. �
“The Every ChildMatters (ECM) initiativeof the UK governmentrepresents arguablythe biggest change tothe organisation ofprovision for childrensince the 1944Education Act.”
26 ESCalatenews
ESCalatenews 27
• In relation to Phase 2, accordingto Cairns (Nursing and MidwiferyCouncil), there is still some lackof clarity as to exactly whocomprises the children’sworkforce. She identifies anacute problem with intermittentworkers who obtain “aqualification which is not child-specific and for all workerswhose qualification leads toregistration with a regulatorybody ”.
• A particular bone of contentionis the fact that funding “isnot very joined up at themoment” (Monica Farthing,TDA). A clear example of this isthe TDA funding of PPD, whichis additional funding to promoteMA-level engagement tosupport the drive for schoolimprovement (DCSF, 2007).This funding can only be drawndown for state recognisedqualified teachers in Englandregistered on ‘PPD approved’courses. Clearly, we need acommon CPD funding platformfor inter-professionaldevelopment and multi-agencyworking that enables theinstitutional convergence ofprofessional trainingopportunities.
• Recognising relevantqualifications and experience(APL/APEL) is clearly going tobe a further challenge to HE.As new professionals and theirroles become more diverse andcomplex, this too might makecalibration more difficult toachieve. APL/APEL are centralto the notion of workforcemobility.
ReferencesCoombs, S. (2006) DesigningHigher Education CPD for theIntegrated QualificationsFramework: Being bold, virtuousand pragmatic. Paper presented atthe annual conference of theInternational ProfessionalDevelopment Association at theUniversity of Stirling ManagementCentre in Stirling, Scotland,1-2 Dec., 2006.
Coombs, S. & Calvert, M. (2007)Developing higher educationprofessional development for thenew children’s services integratedqualifications framework. Paperpresented at the annualinternational conference of theInternational ProfessionalDevelopment Association (IPDA) atthe Ramada Hotel, in Belfast, N.Ireland, 30th Nov – 1st Dec., 2007.
Coombs, S. & Calvert, M. (2008)Reviewing every child mattersinitiatives: CPD opportunities forschools and higher education. CPDUpdate Issue 104 March 2008.
CWDC (2006) Clear Progression:Towards an integratedqualifications framework, CWDCimplementation plan 1st November,2006. (www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/pdf/IQF/IQF_Implementation_Plan_1Nov06.pdf).
DCSF (2007) The Children’s Plan:Building brighter futures –Summary, UK government TSO.
DfES (2003) Every Child Matters,DfES, UK government,HMSO cm 5860.
DfES (2004) Five year strategy forchildren and learners, DfES, UKgovernment, HMSO cm 6272.
UCET (2007) Every child mattersand teacher education: AUniversities Council for theEducation of Teachers (UCET)position paper (No. 17), edited byKirk, G. & Broadhead, P.
Dr Mike Calvert York St JohnUniversity
Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge
the support of ESCalate for
funding the research and
particularly Janie McKie, formerly
ESCalate Project Researcher,
University of Stirling.
Dr StevenCoombs Bath Spa University
Conclusions and recom-mendationsAt this stage the poor reader canbe forgiven for thinking that thechallenges of ECM areoverwhelming. It is true that therewill be pressure at every level andin every sector to arrive at ‘joinedup’ provision, whether it be theproviding of services or training.It is; however, important that weremind ourselves that it is theGovernment that has embarked onthis ten-year strategy, which is stillvery much in its infancy. Such aradical shake-up requires newapproaches and newunderstandings and it is importantthat those charged with providingtraining are aware of some of theimportant issues raised in thisarticle.
�
Much of the contemporarydiscourse on learning isindividualised and takes thestudent’s desire for granted: theindividual student becomes anobject of study and can bepathologised easily. Failure tolearn, poor grades and dropout areconstructed as part of a discourseof deficit. The student lackssomething that needs to beprovided or acquired – study skills,confidence, grasp of English. If onlythe deficit is resolved in some way,the discourse suggests, things canget back to ‘normal’. We are veryfamiliar with these views – indeedwe may be so familiar that it is hardto think in an alternative paradigm.Surely some students are cleverand others aren’t? Some have
academic writing skills and otherslack them? Some need academicsupport whilst others don’t? Thedominant paradigm can polarisethe discourse and limit thinking.
A psychodynamic paradigmbegins from a fundamentallydifferent position. Student desirefor learning is construed asrelational, so when student learninghas been disrupted, the focusshifts to the student’s relationshipsand how these are implicated inthe learning process. Significantrelations include those with:• tutors• peers• self• significant others from the past
– including parents or principalcare givers.
Using a psychodynamic lensproduces a paradigmatic shiftaway from the conclusion thatpoorly performing students havesomething wrong with them, but italso creates troublesomequestions that need to be faced.
Developing a relationalpsychodynamic lensStudents need to be able to relateconstructively to tutors, peers,course requirements and universityregulations and procedures, if theyare to make the most of their HEexperience. Sustaining effectiverelations requires the ability to formsecure attachments that cantolerate familiarity, isolation,success, disappointment,ambiguity and confusion. Thosestudents and tutors who have a lifehistory of making secureattachments are in the bestposition to make their experienceof university a positive one. Somestudents do not have thatadvantage when embarking ontheir studies.
Sasha is at the end of her first yearof undergraduate study. Hercontribution to sessions has beenmarred by poor attendance. Onepiece of assessed coursework is areview of a piece of film music,which she fails to submit. Her nextpiece is a presentation, to beprepared and circulated to herpeers and her tutor one week priorto the event. She fails to supply it
28 ESCalatenews
Towards apsychodynamicmodel of thestudentexperience
ESCalatenews 29
seminars he sometimes repeatsword for word the views of histutor. For his written exam hewrites out entirely from memory, anarticle previously written by one histutors.
Rashid’s over anxiety suggests anexcessive dependence on othersand over-compliance with(imagined) rules. We can describehis relating as an anxiousattachment that deprives him of theopportunity to form and publiclyexpress his own views. Anxiety andfear rather than anger are thedominant emotions experiencedhere, and these emotions set intomotion behaviours that seriouslylimit and disrupt learning.
Seema failed to attend a finalexamination. She promised tosupply a medical note to showthere were extenuatingcircumstances, but this was neversubmitted. She was offered a
second opportunity to take theexam but turned up a day latehaving lost her examination slipwith the date and time on it. Shemade no contact with her personaltutor, but formally accused theuniversity of operating in a racistway, making it impossible for herto seek help from staff who werebiased against her, and sheinitiated a formal grievance againstthe university authorities, whichshe later withdrew. She went on torepeat her course. �
on time. She contributes a weakand poorly organised input to thejoint presentation. Her tutorrequires the written copy and abrief reflective learning log thefollowing week. She fails to submitthem. She then claims the tutor‘must have lost’ her work. Sheoffers a number of reasons whyshe no longer has copies of hercoursework, or the receiptsshowing when they weresubmitted. She is very angry whenshe finds out she has failed thecourse and blames her tutor for notwarning her about ‘theregulations’.
From a psychodynamicperspective the interesting elementin Sasha’s story is her anger,directed at self and others. Sashastruggles to relate to her tutor andpeers, failing to see their needs.She cannot engage with the factthat her peers were let down by herpoor performance. We can see herinability to relate as failedattachment.
Rashid asks for tutorials on afrequent basis. He regularly hangsaround corridors and doorwaysand catches tutors so that he canquestion them about what he hasto do for his courseworkassessments. He often has a pieceof paper to give them, which hewants them to read and commenton. He tries to arrange to collectthese later from the tutor’s room. In
“Using a psycho-dynamic lens producesa paradigmatic shiftaway from theconclusion that poorlyperforming studentshave something wrongwith them, but it alsocreates troublesomequestions that need tobe faced..”
30 ESCalatenews
�
Dr Tony Brown Director ESCalate
Seema’s behaviour indicates astrong self-destructive element.Although she was facing a difficultperiod in her life she made no useof the good relationships she hadpreviously built up with tutors andpeers. Instead she went aboutthings entirely on her own in waysthat emphasised an us-themantagonism, focused on theuniversity as a disembodiedantagonistic entity. We can see thisas a destructive detachment.
Those students who haveexperienced secure attachmentsare in a good position to cope withthe greater anonymity and need forindependence that life at universitycan bring. The ability to relate is notlimited to social relationshipsoutside the process of academicstudy. As the above examplesshow, a student’s performancewithin their academic course isprofoundly influenced by relationalfactors.
Higher Education offersopportunities for personal growthand for strengthening the ability tomake secure attachments. It alsooffers fresh possibilities for thosewhose attachments are not yetsecure, but this may be perceivedby them as very high risk and somewill need support, in both theacademic and social areas of theiruniversity life. There is a chance thatstudents will resort to destructivedefence mechanisms (as illustratedabove) to protect against imagined
attacks on the psyche associatedwith the demands of study.
Being ready to engage with thetransformative possibilities that HEoffers demands a permeablepsyche, open to the powerfulforces of love, envy and hate.Opportunities for transformationcome only when one makesoneself vulnerable to these forces:when in the language of MelanieKlein, one can move beyond thedefence of brittle detachment –with its view of self and others castin polarities – perfect, useless,godlike, satanic, … and begin totolerate the vulnerability thatopenness produces and whichallows us to see ourselves andothers as complex, rounded,flawed human beings.
If the threat of being known byothers (in academic and otherways) is too great, or the possibilityof being loved can be measuredonly in terms of the risk of rejectionand humiliation, then the dangersto the psyche associated withrelating may be too great to risk,and we are likely to fall back intothe desire for unlimited andunquestionable dependency asour right.
Engaging with education willalways include personal risk. Tostudy in HE requires a commitmentto try to overcome fear of theunknown. This commitment is notlimited to the student. Relationaltransformation is not a one-sided
option and engaging witheducation cannot be somethingdone to students by their tutorsand their course. Studying is amessy lived experience in a two-way street. It demandsengagement of all parties,considerable powers of reflectionand reflexivity and commitment toopen exploration of the powerrelations between student andtutor. It requires a level oftransparency that means puttingyourself (whether tutor or student)‘on the line’.
The process of student-tutorrelating is therefore a professionalone which relies on mutuality: therecognition of power differences inthe tutor-student positions,combined with an openness toshare the personal, in anexploration of the ways by whichboth student and tutor can beadvanced by the relationalexperience. As with any relationshipthere will be successes and failuresof affective attunement, which needto be worked through from withinthe relationship.
ESCalatenews 31
�
The hidden carersin today’s society
Laura Brown The Young CarersProject – The Zone,Plymouth
http://escalate.ac.uk/4828To find out more or to obtain afree copy of the DVD call TheYoung Carers Project at theZone, Plymouth on 01752206626 or email [email protected] Alternatively view the DVD athttp://escalate.ac.uk/4828
The Young Carers DVD “There 2Care” provides an importanteducational resource for teachers,teacher educators and studentteachers who want to come to abetter understanding of the lives ofYoung Carers and how best tosupport them. The DVD is madeusing animated characters createdby a group of Young Carers inPlymouth with The Young CarersProject based at the Zone (a standalone young people’s service) and isintroduced by Dr Roger Morgan, theChildren’s Rights Director forEngland.
By using the medium ofanimation the DVD ensures that theyoung people’s confidentiality isretained and that their stories andadvice to professionals comesclearly from their perspective –because they are the experts. Partof the DVD’s appeal is that it is in aformat that is easily accessible toadults and children alike and couldjust as easily be shown in a work-place or lecture hall as to a schoolassembly.
Part of the DVD and Project’saims are to identify more youngcarers living in Plymouth and tosupport and inform research on thisissue. Young Carers are often seen
as the “hidden problem” in society.National Statistics published in 2004by the Children’s Society estimatesthat there are 175,000 young carersin the UK, 86% of these will be ofcompulsory school age. This is anastonishing two children in everyclass of 30, and yet three quartersof these young people have notdisclosed this information to anyonein their school and the issues thatthey are presented with on a dailybasis remain unknown.
One of the Every Child Mattersoutcomes relating to young carers isthat educators should recognise thedifficulties young people face, suchas; • variable attendance
• educational underachievement
• bullying, stress and behaviouralissues.
The aim of projects nationwide is toidentify young carers and provideadequate support in line with amulti-agency approach. This canbe difficult for teachers and studentteachers working in schoolplacements facing an everincreasing workload. Additionally,young people may be unwilling tocome forward through fear of theconsequences of disclosure.
This is where the DVD couldprovide a ‘stepping-stone’towards increased awareness,enabling teachers and those intraining to feel more confident inapproaching this delicate subjectwith young people. As one of theyoung carers states in the DVD,“I was worried that if I told anyone,our family would be split up butnow lots of different people helpus to stay together”.
Laura Brown writes about her work with young carersin Plymouth. How a short DVD they have made aims toincrease understanding of the lives of young carers andhow best to support them.
32 ESCalatenews
The NTFS, launched in 2000, is partof an overall programme to raise thestatus of learning and teaching inHigher Education. Funded by theHigher Education Funding Councilfor England (HEFCE) and theDepartment for Employment andLearning in Northern Ireland(DELNI), the scheme comprises twostrands, Individual NationalTeaching Fellowship Awards andProjects.
The Individual strand of thescheme aims to raise the profile oflearning and teaching, recogniseand celebrate individuals who makean outstanding impact on thestudent learning experience, and
provide a national focus forinstitutional teaching and learningexcellence schemes. Eligibleinstitutions (HEIs and FECs) inEngland and Northern Ireland wereinvited to nominate up to threemembers of staff who coulddemonstrate excellence insupporting the HE student learningexperience wherever it occurs.
Fifty fellowships were awardedthis year, recognising excellence inteaching and learning. Each winnerwill receive an award of £10,000which may be used for theirpersonal and/or professionaldevelopment in teaching andlearning/aspects of pedagogy.
National Teaching Fellows
Individualawards 2008This year the Higher Education Academy received 204 nominations for theNational Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) Individual strand. The cohort of 2008Fellows will join the current community of National Teaching Fellows bringing the totalnumber of Fellowships awarded to 330. The awards will be presented to Fellows at acelebration event in London on Wednesday 24 September 2008.
“The Individualstrand of the schemeaims to raise theprofile of learningand teaching,recognise andcelebrate individualswho make an out-standing impact onthe student learningexperience, andprovide a nationalfocus for institutionalteaching and learningexcellenceschemes.”
ESCalatenews 33
Nigel WynneBirmingham City University
Rayya GhulCanterbury Christ ChurchUniversity
Dr Catherine WalterInstitute of Education
Dr Penny Jane BurkeInstitute of Education
Professor Sir David WatsonInstitute of Education
Dr Stephen BostockKeele University
Dr Peter KnightKeele University
Dr Deborah MawerLancaster University
Professor Sally BrownLeeds Metropolitan University
Susan ThompsonLiverpool John Moores University
Dr Anne RidleyLondon South Bank University
Professor Anthony CroftLoughborough University
Dr Mark GreenwoodNewcastle University
Susan McKnightNottingham Trent University
Dr Jane HenryOpen University
Professor Alastair HudsonQueen Mary, University of London
Professor Peter McOwanQueen Mary, University of London
Professor Brian WhalleyQueen's University Belfast
Sue RobsonRoehampton University
(listed alphabetically by institution):
The winners are.....Dr Carrie WinstanleyRoehampton University
Lyn GreavesThames Valley University
Dr Jos DarlingUniversity of Bath
Lynne BarnesUniversity of Central Lancashire
Dr Derek FranceUniversity of Chester
Dr Duncan ReaveyUniversity of Chichester
Femi BolaUniversity of East London
Professor Kristine MasonO'ConnorUniversity of Gloucestershire
Anthony MannUniversity of Greenwich
Dr Trevor BarkerUniversity of Hertfordshire
Dr Michael RussUniversity of Huddersfield
Dr John FieldhouseUniversity of Huddersfield
Barbara AllanUniversity of Hull
Dr Michael KöllingUniversity of Kent
Dr Joanna DruganUniversity of Leeds
Dr Kate ExleyUniversity of Leeds
Professor Miriam ZukasUniversity of Leeds
Professor Annette CashmoreUniversity of Leicester
Professor Val WassUniversity of Manchester
Dr Aru NarayanasamyUniversity of Nottingham
Avril ButlerUniversity of Plymouth
Dr Chris RickettsUniversity of Plymouth
Dr Julian ParkUniversity of Reading
Professor John YatesUniversity of Sheffield
Dr Briony OatesUniversity of Teesside
Professor Paul van SchaikUniversity of Teesside
Robert O'TooleUniversity of Warwick
Professor Paula HixenbaughUniversity of Westminster
Dr Loykie LomineUniversity of Winchester
Dr Derek PetersUniversity of Worcester
Professor Angela GoddardYork St John University
�
34 ESCalatenews
What's the attraction of technology
for you in your professional life?
JH: I'm a teacher who gets excited
about the possibilities of technology, but
I'm only really interested in it if it
enhances learning.
I've learnt some of the techie
language and skills (button pushing)
because you have to be able to survive
in the technology swamps and it does
help to be able to solve the low level
technical problems that students and
colleagues bump into. It’s often the low
level stuff that will decide if someone will
engage with the technology in the
longer term.
I'd never ask my students/colleagues
to do something that I wasn't prepared
to do myself: immerse myself in e-
portfolios for example.
The attraction of technology is the
same as the attraction for all forms of
in C
onve
rsat
ion
with
... ‘‘
Julie
Hug
hesESCalate warmly congratulates all Fellows,
particularly those in Education, which isstrongly represented in this year’s list.We are keen to work with Fellows inpromoting teaching and learning.
This year’s Education Fellows are:
ESCalate will provide
individual profiles on the
Education winners at
http://escalate.ac.uk/245
There will also be personal
profiles of all the winners at
www.heacademy.ac.uk/
ntfsindividual
For further information
contact ntfsindividual@
heacademy.ac.uk.
National Teaching Fellows
Lynne BarnesUniversity of Central Lancashire
Professor Sir David WatsonInstitute of Education
Dr Carrie WinstanleyRoehampton University
Professor Miriam ZukasUniversity of Leeds
Dr Penny Jane BurkeInstitute of Education
Dr Duncan Reavey University of Chichester
Sue Robson Roehampton University
�
learning and teaching. My approach to
teaching face to face has always been
social and dialogic. Using dialogic
technologies is an exciting extension of
the classroom. I know that when I first
started using e-portfolios four years
ago I wanted to test the technology. I
wanted to see if it could exploit the
potential that I could recognise. Now I
realise that I wasn't able to imagine just
how the potential would present itself to
me.
I have learnt so much from the
students over the years, from sharing
their experiences of the technology and
from watching their learning online. I've
learnt how to be a better teacher both
online and in my f2f classrooms. I like
the spontaneity and informality of the
interactions in these liminal spaces
where our identities are shifting. I like
the different relationships I have with my
student groups online.
I like it being anyplace/anytime which
means that I can sit in my garden in the
sunshine with a laptop assessing
teaching practice e-portfolios or blog
on a train.
What's the most exciting thing
you've been able to achieve in your
professional life so far?
JH: I was flabbergasted to be
nominated for and to receive a National
Teaching Fellowship in 2005. Yes, the
year when it was still a life-changing
amount! It has given me a huge degree
of academic freedom and spending
power, which has allowed to me to
recruit and employ creative former
PGCE students and e-portfolio
learners. Emma Purnell, Paul Towers
and Gaitri Sharma have been a
powerful source of inspiration to me.
And so have my colleagues and the
student groups we've worked with.
Being able to grow a PebblePAD
'family' has been vital to my
professional development as it's so
lonely being an early adopter and
enthusiast. I feel so proud of them now
as they are developing their own e-
portfolio careers – so watch this space!
Who do you admire in your work...
who is doing the ground-breaking
things that really excite you?
1) Helen Beetham, 2)La Guardia
Community College, Queens, New
York. I long to be able to replicate their
student e-portfolio centre which is
staffed entirely by student mentors and
peers.
What got you started using
technology? Was there an early
childhood choice that you made,
like Gameboy?
JH: This question makes me laugh
because if you asked my partner and
kids they'd say that I'm rubbish with
technology. I can't cope with more than
a basic mobile phone and the DVD
player is a mystery to me! I've got a
laptop with voice recognition software
which took over during a recent
presentation leaving me red-faced but
laughing, and even the burglar alarm
goes haywire!
There wasn't much technology in my
childhood it was all books. I started
using technology when I started
teaching at university. I was very lucky
to be mentored by Shane Sutherland, a
colleague who was the Technology
Supported Learning Co-ordinator for
my school and a wonderful role model.
He made it all seem magical and easy.
It was really important to me to have
this safety net and I began to take more
and more technology risks.
This mentoring approach is what I try to
replicate with colleagues and students.
The fear of looking silly or of the
machine taking control of the
classroom is a recurrent theme in
mentoring situations.
Being able to narrativise my own and
my students' learning experiences is
really important. Having access to the
sort of technology that supports this
'messy' iterative story rather than linear
expression is liberating. If you'd have
said to me six years ago before I arrived
at Wolverhampton that I'd be doing
what I'm doing now, I wouldn't have
believed you: I just got hooked and
haven't looked back since!
Julie, you've been involved with
ESCalate for over a year now,
supporting activity throughout the
UK. What has this been like for you?
Personally I’ve found the secondment
to be exciting, sometimes exhausting
(long train journeys) but always
engaging. Professionally it’s allowed me
to work with individuals and groups of
people that I wouldn’t normally work
with in my day job at Wolverhampton.
I’ve particularly enjoyed the practitioner-
facing aspect of the secondment and
the opportunity to put individuals and
networks in contact with each other to
benefit learners. I have really enjoyed
this year and have found myself
challenged and stretched in good ways.
I’ve worked with some inspirational
colleagues on projects which are
developing in interesting ways making
the next year a busy but inviting one.
’’In Conversation with...Dr Julie Hughes, PrincipalLecturer at University ofWolverhampton. Julie isseconded part time toESCalate to advise on theuse of technologies inlearning and teaching,particularly in HE deliveredin FE settings
ESCalatenews 35
eventsDate(s) Details Venue
Writing and Professional Practice day A day workshop organised by The Practice-based Professional Learning CETL- a call for abstracts
Improving Student Learning Through the Curriculum -The 16th Improving Student Learning Symposium
International Disability Studies Conference
Association for Learning Technology Conference 2008:Rethinking the digital divide Our keynote speakers will be David Cavallo, Dr Itiel Dror, and Hans Rosling
All our futures conference Call for papers of April 18th for this event in September
Improving the Student Experience Through EmbeddingInclusive Policy and Practice A one-day event to share the learning and outcomes of the Academy’s longitudinalchange programme for institutions seeking to develop and embed inclusive policyand practice in the context of widening participation and/or disability equality
UKCLE E-learning seminar series 2007/08 This is the fourth in the Subject Centre for Law's series and its theme is SimulationLearning. The aim is to provide four one day seminars which will deliver stimulatingand challenging presentations and encourage dialogue on four key themes
Improving Formative Assessment: NIACE Expert Seminar This event aims to inform participants about effective approaches to formativeassessment, recent research into effective formative assessment practice, andprovide a lively and inspiring seminar
Towards an Epistemology of Symbiotic Practice:Educational Research Conference Conference theme: How are you influencing... Your own learning?The learning of others? The learning of social formations?
Novel Approaches to Promoting Student Engagement Workshop The workshop is concerned with undergraduate and postgraduate teaching inhigher education, in all disciplines. Workshop activities will include presentationsand opportunities for discussion.
Scotland’s Colleges Innovation and Next Practice Conference 2008 The overall theme of the conference is to share and disseminate innovative andnext practice to a wide audience of college staff and sector stakeholders.
Fri 18 July 2008
Mon 1-Wed 3 Sept 2008
Tue 2-Thu 4 Sept 2008
Tue 9-Thu 11 Sept 2008
Tue 9-Thu 11 Sept 2008
Wed 10 Sept 2008
Thu 18 Sept 2008
Thu 18 Sept 2008
Sat 20-Sun 21 Sept 2008
Thu 30 October 2008
Tue 25 November 2008
The Open University inMilton Keynes
University of Durham
Lancaster University
Leeds, UK
University of Plymouth
The Royal National Hotel,Bedford Way, London,WC1H ODG
University of Warwick
St John Centre, Leicester
St Mary’s UniversityCollege TwickenhamLondon
University of Ulster’sColeraine campus
Hilton Hotel, Glasgow
If you would like to find out more, express an interestor to register for any ESCalate event please visitwww.escalate.ac.uk/events
Related Documents
