Exporting Failure: the strange case of NVQs and overseas markets

At a time when Britain's vocational education and training (VET) system and vocational qualifications are undergoing a major review and restructuring in response to critical reports about the model established under the former National Council for Vocational Qualifications, the British Council and associated agencies is currently trying to market National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) overseas. The chief weaknesses and failings of NVQs and the competence‐based education and training (CBET) system on which they are based are outlined in terms of assessment anomalies and the needs of firms, trainees and employers. Since these shortcomings are so so serious, it is suggested that‐‐until they have been remedied through the current reforms under the aegis of the new Qualifications and Curriculum Authority‐‐it is ethically unjustifiable to export a failed VET system to countries which may be unaware of the critical research surrounding NVQs and CBET.     

Effects of professional group membership,intervention type,and diagnostic label on treatment acceptability

Differences in ratings of treatment acceptability among groups of individuals who are often involved in the recommendation, selection, implementation, and evaluation of behavioral interventions in educational settings were examined. Teachers, school psychologists, and school social workers were presented with a vignette of a 3rd grade student exhibiting a pattern of disruptive problem behavior. The vignette was held constant but diagnostic labels (LD, BD, ADD) and interventions (verbal praise and token economy program versus time out from reinforcement program and verbal praise) for the child in the vignette were varied. After examining the vignette, participants rated the acceptability of the interventions. There was a significant interaction for professional group membership by intervention type on ratings of treatment acceptability. No significant effects of diagnostic label occurred. Implications of the present study and future research directions are discussed. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A critique of the expectancy formula approach: Beating a dead horse?

The expectancy and severe discrepancy formulas, like those originally considered by the US. Office of Education (1976), provide the oldest but least defensible method of quantifying academic discrepancy. A logical and mathematical analysis reveals that all variations of this approach have several major weaknesses. First, the expectancy formulas themselves are predicated upon the very questionable assumption that achievement follows a straight line growth pattern, which raises questions about the accuracy of the resulting severe discrepancy values. Second, when discrepancy values are obtained by multiplying the expected values by a fractional constant, the approach is necessarily biased in the direction of applying a more stringent underachievement criterion for older and brighter children. Third, the formulas employ a grade equivalent scale that results in inconsistencies, one being that fewer arithmetic problems are identified. Finally, the expectancy approach does not consider errors in measurement or regression effects, and consequently produces serious identification errors. A variation of the expectancy approach involving a discrepancy ratio between obtained and expected achievement has the previously mentioned limitations, except the bias, and it produces scores that cannot be easily interpreted.     

Benefits of a physical activity intervention for men with prostate cancer

The purpose of the current study was to examine the viability of conducting a theory-based physical activity (PA) intervention on men with prostate cancer, and the impact of PA on quality of life (QOL). Participants were 31 men, average age of 67 years, with localized or metastatic prostate cancer undergoing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Global QOL, fatigue, and PA measures were conducted at baseline and following the 12-week intervention. An additional follow-up testing was conducted 4 months following the intervention (n = 18). Both moderate and strenuous bouts of exercise, as well as functional capacity, increased significantly from pre- to posttest. Both fatigue severity and resting heart rate decreased significantly at posttest. A trend toward improved global QOL was also noted. It was concluded that a 12-week home-based PA intervention may provide health and QOL benefits for prostate cancer patients undergoing ADT. Practitioners are encouraged to promote PA for prostate cancer survivors.     

Teaching and Learning with iPads, Ready or Not?

Within weeks of becoming available, the iPad reportedly sold over 3 million units, a brisker pace than other tablets in the personal computer realm. Much of the early success might be attributed to the almost 250,000 applications that could run on the device and a similar interface to the popular iPod Touch and iPhone. This article considers whether the sales spark that has ignited a hardware revolution (numerous device manufacturers have launched–e.g., HP, RIM, Samsung, Motorola, and HTC–or have plans to launch tablet devices over the next year) is being matched on the software front, with a particular focus on K-12 teaching and learning. Authors consider the potential affect both the iPad and its applications might have on teaching and learning in K-12 settings and whether these technologies allow educators and students to accomplish what they otherwise could not, from a teaching and learning perspective.     

Good DreamsBad Dreams: Text Selection and Censorship in Australia

This essay looks at recent debates about text selection and censorship in Australia. Our aim is to point beyond the terms in which the censorship debate has been conducted in the mass media, and to prompt reflection on how texts are used in English classrooms. We shall raise questions of language and cultural identity in secondary English teaching, arguing the need for a culturally inclusive curriculum that is responsive to the attitudes and values of secondary school students.