Lifelong Learning for Employment and Equity: the Role of Part‐time Degrees

The last few years have seen a growing debate and new initiatives by government and other agencies on the concept of lifelong learning. The objectives of these have been to provide better access to a broad knowledge base and to develop individuals' employability and economic success. But lifelong learning is not a new phenomenon. In the UK and elsewhere many adults have always studied for a variety of reasons and in a variety of ways. Study through part‐time degrees has long been one option for many adult learners. This paper draws on data from a study undertaken for the Department for Education and Employment on the employment of part‐time students and considers whether part‐time study benefits people's careers and whether some people benefit more than others.     

Distance students in the United Kingdom

Over the last hundred years correspondence study for adults has been a substantial ‐‐ if little studied ‐‐ part of the education and training of adults in the UK Private colleges, non‐profit making institutions, professional, trades union and political bodies were experienced in the provision of correspondence courses long before the Open University came on the scene. In 1981, a national survey of mature students included almost a third who were distance students. Alan Woodley, of the Institute of Educational Technology at the Open University, was a member of the survey team.     

Development of perfectionism in junior athletes: Examination of actual and perceived parental perfectionism

ABSTRACT

Initial research suggests that parental perfectionism is central to the development of athlete perfectionism. However, it is unclear whether perceived or actual parental perfectionism is most important. The present study aimed to address this issue in two ways. First, we re-examined the predictive ability of actual versus perceived parental perfectionism on athlete perfectionism. Second, for the first time, we tested whether perceived parental perfectionism mediated the relationship between actual parental perfectionism and athlete perfectionism. A sample of 150 junior athletes and their parents completed measures of perfectionism (perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns). Junior athletes completed two measures, one of their own perfectionism and one of perceptions of their parents’ perfectionism. Parents completed one measure of their own perfectionism. Regression analyses showed that perceived parental perfectionism predicted athlete perfectionism over and above actual parental perfectionism. Mediation analyses provided support for our proposed model. Overall, the findings suggest that both actual and perceived parental perfectionism are important in the development of perfectionism in junior athletes.     

Celebrating Difference: Best Practices in Culturally Responsive Teaching Online

Culturally responsive teaching and design practices flip the online classroom by creating an environment that acknowledges, celebrates, and builds upon the cultural capital that learners and teachers bring to the online classroom. Challenges exist in all phases of online course design, including the ability to create online courses that reflect the instructor’s commitment to inclusive excellence, diversity, and social justice. Designing an online environment that supports all learners regardless of their backgrounds is important in their future success as professionals; thus, it is important for faculty to design courses with all students in mind. The purpose of this article is to share best practices in the design of culturally and linguistically responsive online courses that support the culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students we serve. Based on Gay’s (2010) culturally responsive teaching practices, this article provides examples of online activities that are validating; comprehensive; multi-dimensional; empowering; transformative, and emancipatory.     

Approaches to studying in distance education

Responses to the Approaches to Studying Inventory were obtained from 2,288 post-foundation students taking courses by distance learning at the Open University. A factor analysis of their subscale scores produced a solution that was commensurable with results of earlier research carried out with campus-based students. Indeed, their approaches to studying were more appropriate to the avowed aims of higher education, but this could be attributed to age differences between campus-based and distance-learning students. The approaches to studying of distance-learning students were affected by background variables such as gender, age, academic discipline and prior education, and they were more appropriate to the avowed aims of higher education than those of other students taking foundation courses by distance learning. Even when effects of background variables were taken into account, the distance-learning students' approaches to studying were related to pass rates and final grades. In particular, there was a strong negative association between reproducing orientation and academic outcome.     

Student demand and progress at the Open University – the first eight years

At its inception educationalists and politicians alike were sceptical about the likelihood of the Open University being anything more than a pipe‐dream. Demand was not proven, students would not stay the course, degree level work could not be taught in such a way – the criticisms were numerous. This paper attempts to assess, after ten years, how far the University has succeed ed in its task of providing degree opportunities for adults. It considers the level and nature of demand for the OU, student progress through the University and graduation patterns. It concludes that, despite all the initial scepticism, the level of demand for the OU has continued at a high level, more students have survived than anyone had anticipated, and that these include significant groups without the requisite qualifications for entry to normal university. Despite this, there are many for whom the OU is not as open as it should be, and this represents the challenge over the next few years.     

Forced Disruption of Anatomy Education in Australia and New Zealand: An Acute Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic

Australian and New Zealand universities commenced a new academic year in February/March 2020 largely with “business as usual.” The subsequent Covid-19 pandemic imposed unexpected disruptions to anatomical educational practice. Rapid change occurred due to government-imposed physical distancing regulations from March 2020 that increasingly restricted anatomy laboratory teaching practices. Anatomy educators in both these countries were mobilized to adjust their teaching approaches. This study on anatomy education disruption at pandemic onset within Australia and New Zealand adopts a social constructivist lens. The research question was “What are the perceived disruptions and changes made to anatomy education in Australia and New Zealand during the initial period of the Covid-19 pandemic, as reflected on by anatomy educators?.” Thematic analysis to elucidate “the what and why” of anatomy education was applied to these reflections. About 18 anatomy academics from ten institutions participated in this exercise. The analysis revealed loss of integrated “hands-on” experiences, and impacts on workload, traditional roles, students, pedagogy, and anatomists' personal educational philosophies. The key opportunities recognized for anatomy education included: enabling synchronous teaching across remote sites, expanding offerings into the remote learning space, and embracing new pedagogies. In managing anatomy education's transition in response to the pandemic, six critical elements were identified: community care, clear communications, clarified expectations, constructive alignment, community of practice, ability to compromise, and adapt and continuity planning. There is no doubt that anatomy education has stepped into a yet unknown future in the island countries of Australia and New Zealand.     

The Internet Is Forever: Student Indiscretions Reveal the Need for Effective Social Media Policies in Academia

Students’ imprudent use of social media might threaten their employability and undermine their emerging professional identities. Most professions acknowledge that any benefits of social media must be balanced against its potential to negatively affect workers’ professional lives and the public trust. Professional bodies have developed social media guidelines as a part of more general professional codes of conduct to try to mitigate the legal, ethical, and social risks that imprudent social media use can pose to patients, clients, colleagues, and social media users themselves. This discussion considers examples of students’ social media use from health care and other tertiary programs in Australia and Sweden and concludes that universities must confront social media challenges as part of students’ educational experience for the development of a responsible and professional digital citizenry.     

Student Progress in Distance Education: Kember's model re-visited

This investigation replicates Kember's [(1995) Open Learning Courses for Adults: a model of student progress (Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Education Technology)] model of student progress, using students enrolled on four business courses at the Open University of the United Kingdom. Kember's model identified four key constructs: social integration, academic integration, external attribution, and academic incompatibility. Kember built these constructs, together with background characteristics, into a causal model of student progress and then tested it using path analysis. He concluded that the model was robust, accounting for 80% of the variance in adult student persistence. However, the empirical findings from the present study showed little internal consistency in the sub-scales for the key constructs in Kember's model. Furthermore, few of the causal relationships achieved statistical significance. These results suggest that Kember's path model did not fit the data derived from the present sample. While Kember's recommendations for reducing student dropout have intuitive appeal, their empirical foundations are questionable.