Does Grading Method Influence Honours Degree Classification?

Variation in mark-spread is very evident in degree classification data provided by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Previous empirical investigations suggested that, at the level of the module, the spread of results might, in some subjects, be influenced by the method of grading (percentage marking or shorter grade-point scale). The availability of degree classification data from HESA made it possible to test whether the effect perceived at module level carried through to the honours degree classification. The empirically-generated hypothesis was that subjects characterised by a relatively narrow spread under percentage marking would show a wider spread when a grade-point scale of around 20 divisions was used, with the effect being detectable in honours degree classification data. The hypothesis was tested, using HESA data for academic years 1994-95 to 1998-99, on those new universities in England and Wales for which the existence of an institution-wide grading approach could be established. Tests were undertaken at the level of the HESA subject area, and at the more fine-grained level of the individual subject where numbers permitted. Results from the analyses are mixed. The analyses have probably been influenced by weaknesses in the way that HESA has collected award data, but nevertheless suggest lines for further inquiry into a matter that is of importance for equity within institutions (especially where modular schemes are being operated) and more broadly across the higher education sector.     

A Protocol for computer mediated education across the internet

Changes in the workplace have had an impact on methods of training and education. There is a growing need for flexible methods of course delivery. The economics of courseware development highlight a need for more efficient use of courseware, pointing to geographically distributed Computer Mediated Education as a cost-effective way of sharing these development costs.
Object-orientation is a software development paradigm that is making sweeping changes to the information technology industry. An object- oriented extension to electronic mail is proposed as a protocol for facilitating distributed Computer Mediated Education applications. The use of electronic mail allows use of the Internet as a transport medium. A protocol has been devised for a loosely coupled, distributed, Computer Mediated Education system using electronic mail to transport course material (encapsulated as objects) from one workstation to another. Each workstation uses an object-oriented environment with the ability to dynamically incorporate new courseware objects at run time. A prototype system has been developed to illustrate the feasibility of the protocol.     

Reconceptualising Structure and Agency in the Sociology of Education: structuration theory and schooling

Since the 1970s there has been considerable debate among sociologists of education about the macro‐micro gap in educational analyses. However, educational research remains divided largely into the study of large‐scale phenomena such as social systems and national policies on the one hand, and case‐studies of individual schools and social interaction on the other. This split has had a number of unfortunate consequences for the development of the field. Most importantly, the dominant conceptions of structure and agency employed in the sociology of education are characterised by a dualism which makes it difficult to conceptualise adequately the processes involved in social change. In this paper, I briefly describe this structure‐agency dualism before critically examining three attempts which have been made to address this problem. The ability of structuration theory to overcome this dualism is then examined, and I conclude by arguing that this approach offers an important new direction for the sociology of education.     

Case-based teaching of fatal incidents in outdoor education teacher preparation courses

This article examines the use of case-based approaches to fatal incidents in outdoor education (OE) with a view to fatality prevention. Fatalities are rare in OE and therefore it is nearly impossible for teachers to learn how to avoid fatalities from their own past experiences. It is, however, possible to learn from the mistakes of others through studying accounts of fatalities. Andrew Brookes, working with specialist OE undergraduates nearing the end of their course, develops the argument for reframing fatality cases as narratives in order for students to not simply analyse the incident in hindsight, but to view the accounts from the perspectives of the people involved at the time. Chris North discusses how he examined the impact of case-based fatality learning on pre-service teachers with a range of outdoor experience levels. The responses of students to studying fatalities required him to reframe his approach and consider how to better differentiate learning. The article argues that case-based learning can make a unique and important contribution to safety, but requires reflexive consideration of both curricular and pedagogical aspects.     

Fight, flight and playing white: An examination of coping strategies adopted by Gypsy Traveller Adolescents in English secondary schools

This paper draws on findings from a longitudinal study of Gypsy Traveller¹ students attending English secondary schools. Analysis of over 400 interviews with 44 Gypsy Traveller students, their parents and teachers over a 5-year period identified several pull and push factors that impact on secondary school engagement and retention. Of these, cultural dissonance (a result of conflicting expectations between home and school) and social exclusion feature strongly. Students who relied on maladaptive coping strategies to deal with psychosocial stress associated with cultural dissonance and social exclusion tended to drop out of school early. These maladaptive strategies are referred to here as fight (physical and verbal retaliation and non-compliance), flight (self-imposed exclusion) and playing white (passing identity by concealing or denying one's heritage). Those who were retained in school to the age of 16 displayed more adaptive strategies such as cognitive re-framing, developing social support networks and adopting a bicultural identity.     

EEG analysis of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and comorbid reading disabilities

This study investigated electroencephalographic differences between two groups of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, combined type, with reading disabilities (ADHD + RD) or without (ADHD) and typical control participants. Twenty participants were included in each group. All participants were between the ages of 8 and 12 years, and groups were matched on age and gender. The electroencephalographic (EEG) was recorded during an eyes-closed resting condition from 21 monopolar derivations, which were clustered into nine regions for analysis. The EEGs were Fourier-transformed to provide absolute and relative power estimates for the delta, theta, alpha, and beta bands. Ratio coefficients were also calculated for the theta/alpha and theta/beta ratios. Compared with controls, the clinical groups demonstrated the increased slow-wave and reduced fast-wave activity commonly reported in the ADHD literature. The ADHD + RD group had more relative theta, less relative alpha, and a higher theta/alpha ratio than the ADHD group. A number of hemispheric differences were also found in the delta and alpha bands. These results suggested that some of the EEG divergences found in the ADHD + RD group represent an electrophysiological component associated with the reading disability that is independent of the EEG divergences found in ADHD.     

CCTV IN THE CURRICULUM

An aspect of work at the Dover ETC Service is the provision of CSE courses in photography, drama and graphic design. While discussing the difficulties of assessing such work, the author mentions the benefits that result from any such group project work, particularly the increased motivation of the less academically able students     

Evolution in educational change: A literature review of the historical core of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Journal of Educational Change</Emphasis>

This literature review explored educational change trends as reflected in the first 15 years of the Journal of Educational Change (JEC), from 2000 to 2014. The examination of 52 articles accounting for 61% of the Journal’s historical citations indicated that the JEC has evolved through five periods, which relate to ‘waves of educational change’ beyond the Journal itself. At the center of this development there has been a process of de-centering of Anglo-American perspectives on educational reform, pushed both by an increasing pessimism among U.S. and U.K. scholars regarding their countries’ reforms and by systematic evidence that other educational systems are achieving better student learning outcomes. The aforementioned evolution also shows a shift from more conceptual works by the field’s historical leaders toward more empirical research conducted by emergent scholars. After discussing the predominant concept of educational change, the major silences in the reviewed literature, and what this evolution in the JEC says about the field of educational change at large, the paper ends reflecting on challenges as a new generation of scholars begins to enter the conversation.     

Academic boredom,approaches to learning and the final-year degree outcomes of undergraduate students

Academic boredom is a largely negative and disabling achievement-related emotion. In this mixed-methods exploration of 224 students attending a single university in England, academic boredom was found to arise at the point of course delivery, while studying at other times and during the completion of assignments for assessment. Quantitative data from the recently adapted Boredom Proneness Scale for use across the UK higher education sector (the BPS-UKHE) and the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST), enriched with qualitative data from 10 semi-structured research interviews, indicate that those with a higher propensity towards academic boredom than others displayed the deep, strategic and surface profiles of ‘less effective learners’. This was reflected in their interest in ideas, their ability to organise resources and manage time, what they had to memorise or do to ‘get by’, their achievement motivation and their sense of purpose. As part of a greater evolving network of other contributing factors, this translated into lower final degree marks and fewer ‘good’ degree awards. Recommendations surrounding boredom mitigation and approaches to learning are suggested which warrant serious consideration. The work presented here makes an important contribution to a surprisingly neglected field of UK higher education research and the student engagement agenda.     

Dyslexia and oral reading errors

Thomson was the first of very few researchers to have studied oral reading errors as a means of addressing the question: Are dyslexic readers different to other readers? Using the Neale Analysis of Reading Ability and Goodman's taxonomy of oral reading errors, Thomson concluded that dyslexic readers are different, but he found that they do not resemble beginning readers. Thomson's study and his use of miscue analysis is re‐evaluated, both in relation to the educational and political climate of the time – which was hostile to the concept of dyslexia – and in the light of research and social developments since then. The study of oral reading still has value today, both for the teacher and the researcher, provided its limitations as a technique are fully appreciated.