Broadening the basis of assessment to prevent the narrowing of learning

ABSTRACT

This article presents an argument for a reconsideration of the types of assessment pro‐ moted by national policy. It argues that education for the twenty‐first century should place emphasis on higher‐order skills and ‘deep learning’ while not neglecting basic skills. The evidence relating to the impact of assessment on learning is briefly reviewed, as is the current state of understanding about different types of learning. On this basis it is argued that the range of types of assessments used, both formally and informally, should be expanded to illuminate and support a wide spectrum of rel‐ evant learning, including both the learning of facts and skills, deeper understandings of concepts and principles and their application in unfamiliar contexts. The impli‐ cations for policy and for the refocusing of national assessment in England are then discussed and an alternative framework is proposed.     

From Head of Year to Year Curriculum Coordinator and Back Again?

This article is an account of the development of the course From Head of Year to Year Curriculum Coordinator? The story of its origins, its development and outcomes provides an opportunity to explore the impact of educational changes on conceptions of pastoral care, its management and organization, and how NAPCE has had to change the pattern and nature of its activities to support its members. It allows us to consider the enduring but changing role of the Head of Year.
Caroline Lodge worked for 25 years in urban comprehensive schools in Coventry and London, in many different roles (including Head of Year) before moving on. She is now occupied with earning a living as lecturer, writer, researcher, teacher, consultant and trainer and is also a student.     

Tutors' and Students' Learning or Why do Schools have Tutors?

This article explores some evidence about tutoring as an effective strategy to support young people's learning. It is argued that the central goal of the tutor is to provide support for students' learning. How the activities, relationships and skills of the tutor contribute to the achievement of this goal is then explored. The author emphasizes the tutor's unique position in the school and how it can contribute to learning for students as individuals and in groups.     

Mother and teacher ratings of maladaptive behaviour in children with special needs

ABSTRACT

Parents and teachers of 109 children selected from the Special Needs Register and living in a multiethnic urban health district participated in the study. Their perceptions of children's behaviour at home and at school were measured by the Aberrant Behavior Checklist(ABC). About two‐thirds of the subjects presented with at least one type of maladaptive behaviour of at least moderate severity within their family, and 50 per cent had similar difficulties at school. The dimensions of hyperactivity and irritability were the main causes for concern by both sources. Contrary to previous studies, high rates of parent‐teacher agreement were found. This significant association was not affected by factors such as age, ethnicity or type of school. The implications for the provision of services for children in special education are discussed.     

Measuring the economic impact of the British library

Assessing the British Library's contribution to the national economy is a complex matter, requiring consideration of a number of different dimensions. First, the value added by the Library takes many forms—economic, cultural, social and intellectual. Second, the British Library adds value both to those who use our products and services directly, and to the wider UK population who benefit indirectly from the Library's existence and the services it provides. Traditionally, attempts to assess these benefits have taken the form of qualitative case studies—telling good stories, but failing to provide a comprehensive evaluation. But now a technique supported by the Nobel Prize winning economists, Kenneth Arrow and Robert Solow, permits a coherent quantitative evaluation of the total benefit to the nation of publicly funded institutions and programmes. Recognising the value of this technique, the British Library commissioned a groundbreaking research study to estimate the impact of the Library on the UK economy. The study demonstrates that the Library generates value of around 4.4 times the level of its annual public funding of £83m. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first time the ‘Contingent Valuation’ technique has been used to derive a figure for the overall economic impact of a national or major research library.     

The University: Industry Interface in the Generation of Intellectual Property

This involves effective relations with the corporate sector, within an adaptive, evolving, bargaining framework. Based on an extensive interview programme, this paper explores the nature of that relationship in the context of the organisation and objectives of both partners and in the light of the developing competitive environment. It identifies the key elements on which bargaining tends to be focused and, in the light of organisational and market analysis which is ultimately developed into a bargaining model, offers predictions as to the likely outcomes of the bargaining.     

Moving an Evidence‐Based Parenting Program Into the Community

Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch‐up (ABC) is a parenting program developed to enhance sensitivity among parents of infants who experience early adversity. In several randomized clinical trials, the intervention's efficacy has been demonstrated. Moving interventions into the community with adequate fidelity is challenging, though, and intervention effects are often much smaller than when tested in randomized clinical trials. To enhance the likelihood that ABC is delivered with high fidelity, a microanalytic fidelity assessment was developed. Using this fidelity tool as a central component of training, supervision, and certification, changes in parent sensitivity for 108 families with children ages 6 months to 2 years were as large as those seen in laboratory settings. These findings are discussed with regard to implications for moving other evidence‐based interventions into the community.     

Grounded blends and mathematical gesture spaces: developing mathematical understandings via gestures

This paper examines how a person’s gesture space can become endowed with mathematical meaning associated with mathematical spaces and how the resulting mathematical gesture space can be used to communicate and interpret mathematical features of gestures. We use the theory of grounded blends to analyse a case study of two teachers who used gestures to construct a graphical anti-derivative while working on a professional development task in a calculus modelling activity. Results indicate that mathematical gesture spaces can encourage mathematical experimentation, lighten the cognitive load for students and can be limited by a person’s physical constraints.