ECoSA: a report on a pan‐African environmental education survey

The Education and Communication for Sustainability in Africa (ECoSA) survey set out to provide an overall picture of environmental education provision in Africa in order to identify areas where European Union support could best assist the environmental education process. The survey gathered information through questionnaires, semi‐structured interviews at grass rodts level, country visits and a consultative workshop. A principal product of the survey was a databank with over 300 African organisations involved in environmental education. The Final Report reviews environmental education provision in different sectors as well as suggesting a number of guiding principles and proposing priority areas for European assistance.     

Organizational socialization and induction in universities: Reconceptualizing theory and practice

This paper argues that the theory and practice of induction and socialization of new academic staff in universities have been based on a partial, corporatist, perspective influenced by now defunct structural-functionalist theory. We develop a more sophisticated theoretical understanding of organizational socialization and explore its consequences for the practice of induction of new academic staff. These ideas are based on secondary data derived from a number of studies of new academic appointees (NAAs), 27 in-depth interviews we conducted with academics in ten Canadian and English universities, both chartered and unchartered, and a five year ethnographic study of academic staff in a single unchartered English university.     

Discipline‐related Marking Behaviour Using Percentages: a potential cause of inequity in assessment

This study set out to ascertain whether percentage mark distributions show evidence of discipline‐related marking behaviour and, if so, to consider the implications of this for equity in assessment outcomes. Performance data were obtained for 10 subjects at seven English universities for 1993–94, 1994–95 and 1995–96. The data showed that mark distributions at universities using percentages may be categorised into three Types (A,B and C). Type A distributions (English and History) are characterised by a steep‐sided negatively skewed distribution with a narrow spread. Pronounced microscale variation in the frequency is evident only in the vicinity of the mode between 55‐65%. Type B distributions (Biology, Business Studies, Fine Art, French, Law and Sociology) have a slightly broader spread and display microscale variation in frequency across a wider range of percentiles [40‐70%]. Type C distributions (Computer Studies and Mathematics) are characterised by a subdued, slightly negatively skewed distribution with a considerably wider spread. Type C distributions show conspicuous microscale variation in frequency across most of the percentile range. The types of distributions appear to reflect the relative confidence of assessors in different disciplines in awarding marks. The extremities of the percentage scale are perceived as insecure territory for the assessors of qualitative subject matter. Type A distributions are characteristic of disciplines in which the assessment is qualitative. Type B distributions may reflect the assessment of combined qualitative‐quantitative subject matter. Type C distributions are typical of disciplines in which more quantitative matter is assessed. The existence of discipline‐related patterns of distribution is a potential cause of inequity of outcomes for students on joint or multidisciplinary programmes. Data derived from institutions using grading scales show that discipline‐related patterns are less evident.     

PREDICTING THE RETENTION OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Survival analysis was used to model theretention of 8,867 undergraduate students at OregonState University between 1991 and 1996. Attrition wasfound to increase with age, and decrease with increasing high school GPA and first-quarter GPA.Non-residents had higher attrition rates than didresident and international students, and students takingthe Freshman Orientation Course appeared to be atreduced risk of dropping out. Statistically significantassociations of retention with ethnicity/race andcollege at first enrollment were also noted. Aproportional hazards regression model was developed topredict a student's probability of leaving school basedon these demographic and academic variables. Theseanalyses are helping to guide the university's effortsto improve retention through marketing, recruitment, and the development of orientation and otherprograms.     

Preventing Stalled Quality Improvement Teams: A Written Test of Project Selection ability

Organizations which use quality improvement teams (QITs) in total quality management (TQM) can benefit from training the team personnel in how to select projects with a low risk of stalling. Projects with a high risk of stalling have typical shortcomings, including: failure to focus on a finite or observable process, failure to select a project within the team's authority and resources, and failure to establish importance related to key customers' needs. Training sessions on how to select viable projects may be warranted because stalled teams set a negative example and discourage potential TQM participants. If the organization institutes training on project selection, however, the cost should be justified through systematic evaluation of the training's impact. Designed for those who conduct evaluations of training sessions, this paper demonstrates an efficient written assessment test of project selection ability. The test requires judgments on the suitability of various projects derived from field interviews about projects which were selected by teams which stalled. Testing with a sample of novice and expert quality team leaders shows that the test is sensitive to differences in skills and could thus be used to document the effect of training on students' ability to select projects.     

A global reset of education

PROSPECTS - As the world looks to the future and ways to safely return to normal, in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have a unique opportunity to reset our priorities and redefine what this...