Lifelong Learning: A model for increasing the participation of non-traditional adult

This article examines the attempt of one college (Orpington College in Kent) to increase the participation in further education of adult students who would not normally have benefited from post-school education and/or training; effectively non-traditional learners. The college targeted a specific and defined community, the residents of which had, prior to this initiative, limited access to continuing education. This example is by no means a unique one, but it is unusual and reflects what is best termed a community-based approach to widening participation, harnessing the support of a wide range of community, statutory and voluntary groups to ensure its success.     

F.‐A. Demetz et la colonie agricole de Mettray. Entre réformisme “romantique” et injonctions administratives

The F.‐A. Demetz's example, one of the most well‐known prison reformers, is representative of the evolution of the relations between State and private initiative in France. For most of the people, the creation of the penitentiary agricultural colony of Mettray by F.‐A. Demetz is a model. F.‐A. Demetz belongs to the tradition of prison reformers, men or women coming from charitable societies, and acting mostly by charity and pity. Far to be a thinker, he is a “doer”. He also wants to be a pedagogue.

Mettray symbolises the triumph of the private initiative. But as soon as Mettray opened or only after a few months running, much of the colony organisation was modified. There are very important differences between Demetz’ s plans and the colony opening in 1839. For example, the repressive rules were strengthened. The family‐like organisation was changed into a more military one. Demetz had to comply with the administration's will to obtain its support.

This paper will allow us to understand the relations between reformers and the penitentiary administration.     

Enhancement of Online and Offline Student Learning

An attempt is made in this paper to outline the commonly reported features of constructivism and collaborative learning as they might underpin a proposed model of ICT support for learning. This model is then evaluated for its use in examining three projects involving ICT in student learning environments. The focus of the proposed model is on the pedagogic issues relating to the design of ICT learning environments, effectiveness of student learning and the wider promotion of ICT inlearning.

Encouragement de l'apprentissage de l'enseigné en ligne et hors ligne

Dans cet article on cherche à mettre en valeur les aspects du constructivisme et l'acquisition des apprentissages collectifs qui peuvent s'entendre en modèle proposé de support ICT d'apprentissage. On évalue ensuite ce modèle utilisé en examinant 3 projets impliquant les ICT dans l'environnement de l'apprentissage des étudiants. L'accent du modèle proposé est mis sur les aspects pédagogiques relatifs à la conception des enrichissements des ICT, à l'efficacité de l'apprentissage de l'enseigné et la promotion a plus large de ICT dans l'apprentissage.

Die Verbesserung von Online und Offline Lernleistung

In diesem Papier wird versucht, die allgemein berichteten Eigenschaften von Konstruktivismus und gemeinschaftlichem Lernen in Bezug auf ein vorgeschlagenes IKT-Lernunterstützungsmodell zu umreißen. Der Einsatz dieses Modells wird sodann bei drei Projekten, in denen IKT in die Lernumgebung der Studenten einbezogen ist, evaluiert. Der Schwerpunkt des vorgeschlagenen Modells liegt auf den pädagogischen Aspekten von IKT-Lernumgebungen in Bezug auf ihre Gestaltung, der Lerneffektivität und der weiteren Förderung der Nutzung von IKT für das Lernen.     

Refreshing The Parts Other Teachers Cannot Reach

This article explores the impact of a Personal Learning Planning (PLP) initiative on pupils’ understanding of, and confidence in, learning. The cornerstone of the initiative was a one–to–one, or small group, discussion between Year 9 students and their class tutor. This resulted in a written personal learning plan. The benefits and weaknesses of the initiative are discussed and the interrelationships between action planning, one–to–one tutoring and learning are explored.     

School-based Learning: Constraints and limitations in learning from school experience for teaching assistants

The role and numbers of teaching assistants (TAs) in English schools has grown dramatically in recent years. This is associated with professional development which could give access to Qualified Teacher Status. This part-time, school-based route is consistent with the growth of alternative routes into teaching that are based on an 'apprenticeship model of teacher training'. This model is consistent with the dominant model of 'reflective practice' in teacher training. This study of a cohort of students in their first year of a part-time degree programme for TAs examines the role of experience from constructivist and sociocultural perspectives. It concludes that the TAs' social context in school has a significant impact on the potential to learn from experience and this needs to be addressed in the design of such programmes.     

Interdisciplinary Collaboration Supporting Social-Emotional Learning in Rural School Systems

In this article we illustrate the roles of school psychologists, administrators, social workers, teachers, and parents in school reform by describing the adoption, initial implementation, and formative evaluation of an evidence-based social and emotional learning (SEL) program within several rural Midwestern school districts in a geographically large county. As part of a countywide initiative aimed at improving children's mental health services, an interdisciplinary team collaborated to select and implement a universal school-based curriculum addressing SEL objectives. Professionals in the county's special education cooperative lead the reform effort, general education teachers deliver the curriculum, and school psychologists and school social workers have served as trainers and consultants to educators and building administrators. An ecological model of organizational consultation informs these efforts. We illustrate this model by describing its application to the collaborative school-based initiative addressing SEL objectives. We also discuss implications for future consultation research, training, and practice.     

A Conceptual Change Approach to Learning Science

Summaries

English

Learning science is complex‐‐a student has at different times to acquire new information, reorganize existing knowledge and even discard cherished ideas. In addressing this issue, the analogy between individual learning and conceptual change in scientific disciplines has been fruitful in providing aspects of a suitableframework for analysing science learning. In this paper a model of learning as conceptual change is developed. It investigates the conditions under which an individual holding a set of conceptions of natural phenomena, when confronted by new experiences will either keep his or her conceptions substantially unaltered in the process of incorporating these experiences, or have to replace them because of their inadequacy. The model illuminates the importance of addressing an individual's existing conceptions. It also pinpoints the importance of an individual's metaphysical commitments in influencing scientific learning.     

Research and Learning Information Resources

Identification of the factors that contribute to the fear of success in women's career development is important for community college educators and counselors wanting to assist women in their professional goals. In this article the factors associated with fear of success in women are categorized as follows: familial socialization, psychological influences, and cultural norms. It is generally conceded that any one or combination of these factors can precipitate a fear of success which becomes manifest in the woman's defeatist behaviors, and in turn, undermines her career development. It is imperative that professionals recognize the factors causing the fear of success orientation in women so that they may develop coping strategies with the client.     

Training the Ethanol Workforce: The Importance of Partners in Niche Program Development

Educational, industry, and state leaders worked together to design a program to meet the training needs of Nebraska's fast-growing ethanol industry. The statewide initiative, guided by Northeast Community College and funded through the President's Community-Based Job Training Grants program, is developing dual-credit, short-term training that leads to a certificate, and degree programs in renewable fuels technology.     

Map For Decision Making In Operating Distance Learning Systems: Research Results

English:This paper deals with decision-making aspects of the introduction of distance learning (DL) into university instruction and learning. Teacher/student interactions are examined and a model is suggested for the introduction of DL into the university teaching and learning arena whilst ensuring the realization of the potential of DL methodology both educationally and cost-effectively.

Francais: Cet article traite des aspects des prises de décision dans l'introduction des systèmes d'enseignement à distance a l'université. Les interactions enseignements-enseignés sont examinées, et on suggère un modèle pour l'ntroduction de l'enseignement à distance dans l'université tout en mettant à profit le potentiel de la methodologie de l'enseignement à distance tant au point de vue éducation qu'au point de vue coût-efficacité.

Deutsch:Dieses papier beschreibt aspekte der entscheidungsfindung für die einführung von DL für lehren und lernen an universitäten. Auf der basis von lehrer/schüler - interaktionen wird ein modell fur die einführung von DL im Universitätsbereich vorgeschlagen, das dessen möglichkeiten auf pädagogischem gebiet unter dem aspekt der kosteneffizienz sicherstellt.     

Teaching and Learning in World Wide Web-Connected Classrooms

Summary

Use of the Web as an instructional tool is growing rapidly as the nation's classrooms increasingly come online with high capacity bandwidth. To optimize the use of the Web as an instructional tool, the traditional roles of students and teachers must shift to that of an “engaged model” of teaching and learning. This article presents strategies for effectively teaching and learning on the Web and introduces SUR-WEB as an Internet-based multimedia resource for engaged learning.     

Home-school Agreements: A true partnership?

From September 1999 all schools in England and Wales will be expected to have a 'home-school' agreement in place. The home-school agreement initiative has provoked considerable debate amongst and between politicians, educationalists, professional associations and parents' organisations. This article provides an analysis of this controversy . The first part places home-school agreements within the historical context of home-school relations. The second part discusses two key issues of 'enforceability' and 'partnership' that have informed much of the debate . The article concludes by suggesting that models of parents as 'problems', as 'partners' and as 'consumers' are all implicit within this recent initiative and it questions whether an acceptable balance between these models can be incorporated in the process of implementation.     

Learning in farm management: a New Zealand experience

Abstract

A universal goal of extension agents is the attainment of voluntary behaviour change in clients. Learning skills are critical to individuals that seek effective outcomes from behaviour change experiences. This paper reports on a study that estimated the cognitive changes occurring among a group of farmers, consultants and scientists in New Zealand. A model of the learning process directed the research. This model identifies two distinct components to learning: grasping information through conceptualisation or experience, and: transformation of information into knowledge, through reflection or experimentation. Individual clients are grouped into one of four distinct learning styles depending on the way they grasp information and transform it into knowledge. Research results detected learning preference and belief differences among the farmers, consultants and scientists in the group. The study suggests learning research methods assist extension agents plan and negotiate the specific behaviour changes that clients seek by implementing strategies that use learning preference and belief data. Researchers can improve approaches to technology development by exploring client needs using communication method's compatible with client learning preferences.     

Establishing a Learning Mentor Service within a Cluster of Primary Schools: Learning from Evaluation

This paper describes a learning mentor service commissioned by the Children's Fund that has been established in a cluster of primary schools, offering a possible model for the provision of pastoral care to support children at risk of underachieving. In particular, it explores issues relevant to the implementation of the service, namely communication, co-ordination and time, and identifies benefits and outcomes of the service, as perceived by the various stakeholders. Evaluation of this service, on which the paper reports, highlights the importance of developing a clear quality care pathway, and putting systems in place to obtain information regarding the outcomes of the service.     

Using Examinations to Promote Learning

Abstract

The article describes the authors' experiences team teaching two sections of the same undergraduate social studies/language arts methods course using a model in which both instructors are present at all class meetings. One section was composed of predominantly older, nontraditional students; the other section included more typical college students. The majority of students in both sections enjoyed the experience. A narrative detailing the creation of the teaching team and suggestions for a successful team teaching experience also are included.     

Implementing Peer Learning Across Organisations: The development of a model

Peer learning can be implemented by individual teachers within an organisation or can be implemented across an organisation by a central implementer. In this article, it is argued that the types of approach required in these two forms of implementation are very different and whilst the former is dealt with in the literature on peer learning, the latter has been largely unconsidered. The article reports how a review of the literature on organisational change was used to develop a model of how to implement peer learning across organisations. It describes how this model was used to guide the implementation of peer learning across a UK further education college. The results of a pilot study into the model's effectiveness in this context are reported. These results suggest that the model appeared to be a useful guide to the implementation of peer learning across an organisation and, as such, is worthy of further investigation in other contexts.     

The Discursive Construction of the National Grid for Learning

The National Grid for Learning (NGfL) not only represents the most ambitious educational computing initiative to date but also heralds one of the largest public/private education policy partnerships the UK has even seen. In reflecting the growing influence of market and technological forces the NGfL should, therefore, be treated as a significant education signpost for the new century. Before the initiative reaches full operation a major step in the 'construction' of the Learning Grid has been its formation within government and official discourse. This discursive construction is important inasmuch as it makes an 'ethereal' initiative a tangible concern, shaping expectations among both the education and business communities and consequently influencing the future effectiveness of the NGfL. From this basis, the present article examines how the National Grid for Learning is being discursively constructed by government and official actors at a macro level through policy and advisory documents, official statements and other rhetoric. In doing so the article highlights how the NGfL is being shaped within a restrictive technocratic and determinist discourse, thus conforming to traditional narratives of society and technology. The paper then aims to show how such construction negates crucial social and economic elements of the initiative and threatens, ultimately, to restrict the eventual educational effectiveness of the Grid.     

Consultative Paper on the Secondary School Curriculum

After introducing the author, some themes central to the article are explored through one school's eight year involvement with the Improving the Quality of Education for All (IQEA) school's improvement initiative. A short account of Sharnbrook Upper Schools evolving journey is presented, based around three different models. From this issues related to maintenance and development, and to leadership are explored. The final phase of the article suggests limitations to the models of transactional and transformational leadership as a means of providing leadership for the long haul in school improvement. Deriving from an analysis of contemporary research about leadership and from grounded understandings about alternative approaches to leadership (in both principle and practice) new leadership themes are presented, which are based around values, shared leadership contexts and capacity creation through learning.     

Learning Plans

Abstract

Learning plans are essential tools for field education. The development of a learning plan invests the student in the learning process by encouraging ownership. It alsoserves as a model to help students understand the contracting process used when engaging clients. A well thought out learning plan assures accountability and avoids problemsthat may arise resulting from unclear field expectations. Yet, many students and field instructors have difficulty in developing meaningful plans that truly relate to the social work educational experience. This paper provides a framework for developing a learning plan that includes an overview of the student, faculty advisor, and field instructor's roles and the process utilized. Working from broad comprehensive learning goals, cognitive and affective objectives are developed. This leads to specified tasks and evaluative standards. A sample format is presented to further assist students, faculty advisors, and field instructors to develop useful, instructive, and evaluative learning plans.     

Incidental Learning in Foreign Language Learning

Abstract

Students in a college course were given written criteria, divided into teams, and asked to score their own essay examination. Their pooled ratings correlated .922 with the instructor's ratings. Agreement between the ratings of students and instructor was not related to grade point or total test score. However, grade point and test scores were related negatively to the ambiguity of the students’ answers on the examination. The results support the generalization that subjective scoring standards are readily communicable. Theoretical and practical implications are examined.