Deciding to provide a 'reader' in examinations for the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE): questions about validity and 'inclusion'

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) was designed as an 'inclusive' qualification, access to which has been supported by providing a 'reader' to some candidates during examinations. A candidate reading age criterion of ten years has been employed by the GCSE awarding bodies to determine eligibility for this provision. In this paper, Kevin Woods, a member of the Educational Support and Inclusion Research and Teaching Group in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manchester, examines the rationale and evidence for adopting this criterion and describes an investigation of the reading needs of a cross-sectional sample of 38 GCSE examination candidates in trial examinations. The investigation found a low level of candidate need for a reader, with candidate reading age and self-prediction being unreliable indicators of this need. Kevin Woods highlights the implications for the assessment process used to determine eligibility for a reader in GCSE examinations and pays particular attention to the feasibility and validity of including all students as eligible.     

Contextualizing the Interpretation of Reliability Data

What is the relationship between the context and substantive meaning of a measure and the assessment of the reliability of the measure? Does the interpretation of a reliability coefficient depend on the nature of the measure? How does this approach to reliability relate to alternative assessments?     

Survey on Teaching Contemporary British Fiction

The teaching of contemporary British fiction in English departments in the United Kingdom is reviewed. The study primarily focuses upon evaluative engagement with current teaching. The literary and theoretical texts taught on courses are considered, as are the use and availability of different kinds of supplementary literary‐critical materials. Data collection was through semi‐structured interviews and a survey of online material. The periodisation and focus of general contemporary British fiction teaching is emerging from a more diffuse field where postmodern, gendered and post‐colonial readings still tend to shape courses and modules. A new post‐1970s idea of the contemporary is rapidly emerging.     

Determinants of expected vs. actual match outcome: an examination of the German Bundesliga

Within society, there are many publications regarding expectations of firm performance. These include analysis, industry insiders and ranking service. Within sports, bookmakers provide betting odds that reflect the expected outcome of matches and are determined by several factors. The purpose of this study is to analyse the determinants of expected match outcome (i.e. betting odds) and compare them to those of actual match outcome. Data from the 2010/2011 season of the German Bundesliga (soccer) are made available that are combined with betting odds for each match. Regression results show that several factors, such as difference in standing between team and opponent, difference in competitions played, difference in points earned over the last five matches, differences in standing last season and home advantage significantly influence expected match outcome. On the contrary, actual match outcome is only determined by the latter two factors.     

发展中国家研究型大学的作用:引领国家和全球知识经济发展

研究型大学是各国学术系统的核心部分.研究型大学的发展可以推动各国知识经济的成功.国际顶尖期刊的编辑、作者和评阅人都来自研究型大学,同时,研究型大学能够获取全球知识信息,汇聚各类学者团体,资助教师参与国际专业学术机构和国际会议,并位于互联网革命的中心,因此,开展国际学术知识交流和参与到国际学术网络中是发展中国家研究型大学的核心使命.研究型大学作为“知识的仓库”和“批判中心”,面临着全球化带来的机遇和挑战.在高等教育国际化进程中,发展中国家的研究型大学面临着语言的困境,并且亟需改善学术职业的条件.从卓越的研究型大学的典型特征来分析,各国应该思考如何改善研究型大学的基础设施和智力氛围以使其迈向成功.