Racism and citizenship education in Northern Ireland

Racist attitudes towards, and attacks on, the minority ethnic populations in Northern Ireland (NI) have increased dramatically over the last number of years. Despite the increased media attention regarding racist attacks, the fallacy that racism is not a major problem in NI is an enduring one. However, there is a growing recognition that minority ethnic communities experience a diverse range of racial harassment. Education is a mode promoted by national and European governments as the vehicle in which anti-racism programmes can be delivered. This article suggests the impending introduction of a statutory citizenship education (CE) component to the revised NI curriculum from September 2007 can play an important role in tackling the high levels of racism being experienced by the minority ethnic population in NI.     

Integrating Aging and Civic Engagement into the Curriculum

This conceptual paper is based on interdisciplinary work the authors have participated in as part of the renewed push for civic engagement, the various forms it takes, and the multiple constituencies involved in its promotion. We focus on what theoretical and empirical content could be incorporated into courses on aging so that students can be prepared to critically think about, understand, and analyze both practice and policy aspects of civic engagement and aging. We provide three learning cases that can be used as classroom exercises, suggest sample assignments, and examine implications of engagement for older adults. We append a sample syllabus that can be used as a framework to convey this content in an elective course or as a module of a social gerontology course. The call for civic engagement is being heard throughout the United States across sectors and across population groups. In this article, we begin with background information on the renewed push for civic engagement, the various forms it takes, and the multiple constituencies involved in its promotion. Following a brief contextual background, we focus on theoretical and empirical content that could be incorporated into courses on aging so that students can be prepared to understand and critically analyze the implications of civic engagement for older adults. Four units that could constitute a one-credit module or become part of an existing gerontology course are provided, complete with discussion questions, learning cases that can be used in classroom exercises, as well as sample assignments. We conclude with a sample course syllabus around which this module could be constructed in order to convey this content.     

According to Jim: The Flawed Normal Curve of Intelligence

This article proposes a critical thinking approach to cultural literacy for gifted students. The premise of the article is that all students profit from a curriculum rich in reasoning within and about diverse cultural points of view on historical and contemporary reality. The article posits that increasing racial, gender and socioeconomic intolerance can only be confronted with a curriculum that affords students the opportunity to enter em‐pathetically within cultural points of view often similar or disparate from their own. The author also attempts to call attention to issues of educational equity to assure that all students, gifted or potentially gifted, do not become tracked or placed in remedial learning programs owed solely to their cultural background, gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic class.     

THREE OLDER LEARNERS: REASONS FOR PARTICIPATING IN MUSEUM ART CLASSES AND THE PERSONAL MEANING OF LEARNING

Interviews of three older people are presented as individual cases to explore the personal meaning older adults attach to learning art. The examples illustrate that learners can begin new educational pursuits in their old age, particularly when supported by outreach programs of institutions and that older people can have a big stake in learning art. The personal meaning attached to the learning activity, as expressed by these learners, is examined further through a discussion of role loss and instrumental and expressive learning. Implications for administrators and teachers are presented.     

Nursing Students' Intentions to Work in Dementia Care: Influence of Age,Ageism, and Perceived Barriers

Given a projected threefold increase in people living with dementia globally by 2050 (World Health Organization, 2012 World Health Organization (WHO) . ( 2012 ). Dementia: A public health priority . Retrieved from http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/75263/1/9789241564458_eng.pdf  [Google Scholar]), attracting nurses to work in this area will be critical to meet demand. This study examined the role of age, positive ageism, negative ageism, and aged-care placement completion in predicting nursing students' intentions to work in dementia care. Perceived barriers to working in dementia care were also explored through a thematic analysis. Participants were 135 undergraduate nursing students from one regional Australian university (ages ranging from 18 to 55years) who completed an online survey. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis revealed that age (p = .001) and positive ageism (p < .001) were associated with greater intentions to work in aged-care. A thematic analysis of perceived barriers to working in dementia care showed five themes consisting of 11 subthemes: profession (conditions, culture, diversity, interest); personal demands (emotional, physical); patient contact (communication, safety); experience (previous, lack); and no barriers. Younger students (<25 years of age) were more likely to nominate emotional demands as potential barriers, whereas older students were more likely to cite work conditions. Patient communication and interest in other areas of nursing were identified as barriers across age groups. The findings from this study suggest that educational providers could target students with specific characteristics associated with greater work intentions in dementia care, such as age and positive ageism. Perceived barriers to working in dementia care indicate possible areas of improvement that may attract more students to this field of practice.     

Determinants of timely completion: the impact of Bachelor's degree programme characteristics and student motivation on study progress

Timely completion of university degree programmes is a topic of growing concern to higher education institutions and their students. This paper reports on a study about the impact of degree programme characteristics and student motivation on study progress. The setting for the study is a Dutch law school. Data on degree programme characteristics, student ability, motivation, academic performance and academic pressure were collected from 168 first-year students six months after the start of their studies. Analysis of the effects of degree programme characteristics and students' initial motivation on study progress shows that study progress mainly depends on ability, timely completion goals and transparency of assessments. The study also shows that transparency of assessment procedures considerably lowers fear of failure and academic pressure.     

Getting in Touch: Use of Mobile Devices in the Elementary Classroom

In this single-case study, we examined the perceived influence of school-wide Apple iPod Touch integration on student learning and engagement. Data collection consisted of elementary teacher and principal interviews, as well as parent surveys. Findings revealed that there was a marked shift in teachers’ and students’ perceived roles when the iPod Touch was used. Consistent with current pedagogical practices, the findings also suggested that mobile technology facilitated self-directed learning, peer mentoring, differentiated instruction, and formative assessment, and enhanced student engagement. Caveats are offered regarding the integration of these mobile devices into K–8 schools and the use of the iPod Touch as a way to extend the support of learning beyond the classroom.     

Multimedia Cases in Elementary Science Teacher Education: Design and Development of a Prototype

Multimedia cases intend to bring about fundamental changes in teacher education by bridging the gap between theory and practice. The use of information and communication technology in multimedia cases is expected to create a powerful and flexible learning environment. Such a learning environment is in line with a constructivist vision of teaching and learning. This paper focuses on the rationale behind case-based instruction by describing the design and development of a prototype and addressing the justification of underlying design decisions. Moreover, the prototype is briefly outlined and formative evaluation results are presented.     

New Faculty Roles in Learning Outcomes Education: The Experiences of Four Models and Institutions

Innovative models that focus on learning outcomes engage faculty in new ways of facilitating and assessing learning, while their institutions seek to support and reward their participation. Innovators from four different institutions provide an overview of their approaches to implementing principles of outcomes-based education, compare their models, and explore the changes that are precipitated in the roles, rewards, resources, structures, and models. While the four institutions and models differ on several significant variables, the innovators identify common key elements and issues that the academy must address in order to transform the educational experience and culture to a more learning-centered enterprise.