An international comparison of community engagement in higher education

Community engagement in higher education is a shift beyond the traditional roles of instruction and research. This paper presents a transnational view of community engagement developed from two case studies of universities in the Philippines and Australia. The study, revealed variations in the way community engagement is understood and implemented by universities across different countries. These variations are related to economic, social-cultural, political and organizational factors. The role of university leadership was found to have a critical role in embedding community engagement in the organizational identity and image.     

Exploring difficulties in learning to teach English post-16

This article investigates the experiences and training needs of student teachers as they learn to teach post-16 English on a secondary Post Graduate Certificate in Education. A case-study was conducted on a sample of Open University PGCE English students and mentors over a six-month period. Five research instruments were developed and used iteratively to generate qualitative data. The study reveals significant problems, resulting in students feeling underprepared at the end of their 11–18 PGCE for the demands of post-16 English teaching. The results illuminate the need for more effective models of learning to teach post-16 English.     

Chinese whispers? Investigating the consistency of the language of assessment between a distance education institution,its tutors and students

Ensuring the fairness of assessment is important in all areas of higher education. It is particularly so in distance education, where the communication around assessment and feedback is a principal method of supporting learning, and even more so when the students are at the entry point into higher education. This research explores the nature of the language used in explaining the purpose and process of assessment on an access programme at The Open University, UK, from the perspective of the module team, the tutors and the students. It takes a qualitative approach to examine the clarity and consistency of assessment tasks, assessment guidance and TMGs. Analysis revealed inconsistencies in the language used in relation to assessment, which has led to a revision of how assessment tasks and guidance are communicated to students and tutors.     

Primary school children's health-enhancing physical activity patterns: the school as a significant environment?

The moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) of 70 children (age 8.6 years; 40 boys) was measured and gender and age differences were compared. Boys spent 28 minutes per day more than girls in MVPA (p=0.02, d=0.54), and younger children accumulated 24 minutes more MVPA than older peers (p=0.0001, d=0.91). Similar gender and age-related trends were apparent during segmented periods of the day. The majority of daily MVPA was accrued during school-related time (56.4±9.1%; p=0.0001, d=1.57). The findings reinforce the significance of schools as key environments for MVPA participation and promotion.     

At the foundations of information justice

Is there such a thing as information justice? In this paper, I argue that the current state of the information economy, particularly as it regards information and computing technology (ICT), is unjust, conferring power disproportionately on the information-wealthy at great expense to the information-poor. As ICT becomes the primary method for accessing and manipulating information, it ought to be treated as a foundational layer of the information economy. I argue that by maximizing the liberties (freedom to use, freedom to distribute, freedom to modify, and so on) associated with certain computer software, an incentives-rich and stable environment can be established in ICT that will foster development of the information economy among the information poor. I suggest that the now-mature Free and Open Source Software paradigm, which has already produced widely-used enterprise-class applications, can be harnessed in support of these ends.     

Electronic Learning Delivery Systems: A Selection Model

Electronic learning delivery systems discussed include satellite networks, teleconferencing, Internet/Intranet networks, desktop multimedia, electronic performance support systems (EPSS), transportable audio/video (i.e., systems relying primarily on physically transportable audio-and videotaped materials), and the electronically enhanced classroom. Selecting one of these systems can be a daunting task when all relevant issues are considered. The selection model described in this article narrows the choices to the system most likely to be instructionally, economically, and technologically appropriate. After establishing working definitions, the model suggests four stages of user activity: 1) Assessing several important overall factors, including outcomes and conditions of learning, economics, synchronicity and location, and organizational culture; 2) Rating the importance of several learning system attributes to the training project; 3) Selecting the system that most ideally supports the attributes which the user has rated as important; and finally, 4) Validating the selection by reviewing the final choice in light of first stage overall factors.