System transition in Japanese short‐term higher education: what future for the Japanese junior college in crisis?

The uniquely Japanese institution of the tanki daigaku (two‐year university) known as ‘junior college’ in English was seen as Japan's answer to increasing participation in higher education. Initially established on a provisional basis in 1950, becoming permanent in 1965, they were the higher education institution (HEI) of choice of almost 500,000 students a year at their peak in 1995. Demographic changes after 1992 brought about a buyers' market for higher education with institutions in aggressive competition for students, a battle in which the tanki daigaku seems destined to be defeated. This paper examines the options available to junior colleges in crisis and in so doing identifies a number of features of a virtually universal system of higher education which raise issues for other advanced societies grappling with massification and commodification in their own higher education systems. The paper reviews the literature in this area, as well as drawing on a year of participant observation as an associate professor from 2000–2001.     

Outdoor education: Research topic or universal value? Part Two

This paper follows the theme of part one in that it sets out to discover if the history of outdoor education provides its modern exponents with a legacy of prescribed conservatism or alternatively a form of education which embraces, or is capable of embracing, diversity of theory and practice. Focusing on local authority residential outdoor education centres it begins with the 1970s through the 1980s and ends with the 1990s.

Secondary sources are used and include government and civil service education circulars as well as the body of literature that relates to outdoor education. The paper analyses how discussions of philosophical underpinnings and aims, together with the public perception of safety and risk came to influence the practice of outdoor education. This leads to a discussion of terminology and the role of outdoor education as a curricular subject. The influence of market forces on the provision of outdoor education and the increasing call for cost effectiveness is analysed in relation to the increasingly diverse range of activities coming under the umbrella term of outdoor education.

The evidence shows that throughout this period significant changes regarding the nature of outdoor education are observable. However, within this flux one point is clear. The body of outdoor education literature attaches more importance to outcomes relating to personal and social education than environmental education and this point will be the bridge between part two and part three.     

Realizing the Value of Non-Purchased Content

This presentation summarized a May 2013 white paper published by Taylor & Francis Group, Facilitating access to free online resources: challenges and opportunities for the library community (www.tandf.co.uk/libsite/pdf/TF-whitepaper-free-resources.pdf). Taylor & Francis staff conducted research aimed at exploring free content discoverability from the perspective of librarians. Study focus groups were held in London and Seattle, Washington in early 2013. Research also included telephone interviews, surveys, and literature searching to identify relevant studies and commentary articles.     

Continuing education module: postpartum maternal health care in the United States: a critical review

Postpartum maternal health care is a neglected aspect of women's health care. This neglect is evident in the limited national health objectives and data related to maternal health. Missed opportunities for enhancing the health care of postpartum women occur in the scope of routine postpartum care. Differing perceptions of maternal needs between nurses and new mothers also contribute to inadequate health care. Therefore, collecting national data on postpartum maternal morbidity, reforming postpartum care policies, providing holistic and flexible maternal health care, encouraging family support and involvement in support groups, and initiating educational programs are recommended. Further research is needed on issues related to postpartum maternal health.     

Plain language summaries: Enabling increased diversity,equity, inclusion and accessibility in scholarly publishing

• Plain language summaries (PLS) are accessible, short, peer-reviewed summaries of scholarly journal articles written in non-technical language.
• The aim of PLS is to enable a broader audience of experts and non-experts to understand the original article.
• Here, we outline the evidence base for the value and impact of PLS and how they can enable diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in scholarly publishing.
• PLS can diversify readership and authorship, address information inequity, include typically under-represented stakeholders and provide an accessible route into scholarly literature.