The May Center for Early Childhood Education: description of a continuum of services model for children with autism

Children with autism have complex learning and behavioural challenges which typically require comprehensive educational and therapeutic services. In recent years there have been many developments in the philosophy, methodology, and scope of intervention for this population. Factors such as early intervention, criterion‐referenced assessment, the combination of applied behaviour analysis and developmentally appropriate practices (DAP), parent training, and public school inclusive education have been noteworthy. This article describes a comprehensive continuum of services model for children with autism developed by a human services agency in Massachusetts which incorporates these and additional empirically‐based approaches. Service components, methodologies, and program objectives are described including representative summary data. The article concludes with a discussion of educational, therapeutic, and research issues which address “best practice” approaches toward children with autism.     

Learning Through Benchmarking: Developing a Relational, Prospective Approach to Benchmarking ICT in Learning and Teaching

This study discusses benchmarking the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in teaching and learning between two universities with different missions: one an Australian campus-based metropolitan university and the other a British distance-education provider. It argues that the differences notwithstanding, it is possible to develop a useful and rigorous benchmarking relationship between such institutions that draws on previous benchmarking research and improves the approach by benchmarking key processes, not just outcomes. By defining a process used to embed ICT in subjects and using this as a focus of the benchmarking, a relational and prospective approach to quality assurance for ICT can be clarified, one which promotes coherence amongst the benchmarks that can be used for the purposes of improvement.     

The Effectiveness of Video as a Learning Tool in On‐line Multimedia Modules

The Broadnet Project produced on‐line interactive multimedia training modules in order to support local small and medium sized (SME) businesses. Two of these modules used videos which were incorporated into the modules and were designed to stream over the Broadnet network. These videos were produced by several different contributors to the project. This report examines the producers’ views and SME trainees’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the videos as training material. Findings suggests that it is the interactive nature of the videos with the clips and questions, and the use of narrative incorporating the information which these trainees found most useful for learning.     

Literacy,social justice and inclusion: a large-scale design experiment to narrow the attainment gap linked to poverty

This paper describes the development and use of a tool designed to support educators to use a broad range of professional knowledge to enable inclusive literacy teaching that delivers social justice and narrows the attainment gap associated with poverty. The tool encourages teachers to formally recognise and act on a wide range of evidence about students as learners and to design their literacy curriculum and teaching according to this evidence. The research operationalised a Capabilities approach to inclusion and a design experiment methodology, working with 48 schools, 650 teachers and 12,783 students. A paired sample T-test showed a significant improvement in standardised age scores and that the ‘tail of underachievement’ shortened for all social groups. Goodman and Kruskal's gamma showed a weakening of the relationship between poverty and attainment. This gives cause for cautious optimism that attainment gaps associated with economic disadvantage can be narrowed if educators act on a wider range of evidence in literacy teaching, and if education researchers develop and trial tools to support them.     

Institutional conceptualisations of teacher education as academic work in England

Through an analysis of job recruitment texts, and interviews with academic leaders, this article shows how the university-based teacher educator is produced as a category of academic worker in England. Focussing on the discursive processes of categorisation provides insights into how English universities conceptualise teacher education. Variations in conceptualisations are noted within and between institutions, with the teacher educator produced as a hybrid or exceptional category. Often, variations are produced around a practitioner/researcher contradiction. The article concludes by asking whether such variations and potential lack of coherence matter, in the context of national policy and funding constraints, and internationally.     

The development of national standards for adult educators in Namibia

Since gaining independence from South Africa in 1990, Namibia has placed considerable emphasis on education, including adult learning. As a means of improving the quality of adult learning, the Namibian Ministry of Education commissioned the development of national standards in 2010 to express competency requirements for adult educators. Particular attention was paid to the views of adult learners who participated through thirty focus groups. The participatory process revealed that the work of an adult educator is more complex and demanding than had previously been appreciated. The required competencies were categorised under four headings: (1) Knowledge as an adult educator, (2) Practice as an adult educator, (3) Relationships as an adult educator and (4) Ethics and professionalism as an adult educator. The Namibia Qualifications Authority, acting under its legislative mandate of setting occupational standards for occupations, jobs, posts and positions, approved the national standards in 2011.