Formalised peer mentoring pilot evaluation

Over the past ten years, mentoring of children and young people has become an increasingly important feature of social policy in the UK. This has been mirrored in the rapid growth in the number of mentoring schemes operating. However, it is widely acknowledged that no one single definition or model of mentoring exists; rather there are a number of different models providing support to young people in a range of settings. This research was undertaken during the autumn term of 2006 and the summer term of 2007. The methodology comprised an analysis of mentoring models in the 180 participating schools; questionnaires sent to all co-ordinators and to mentors/proteges in 40 schools; interviews with co-ordinators, pupils and support agents in 8 case study schools. Includes: •Introduction •Evaluation methodology •Analysis of school pilot application forms •Evaluation results •Conclusions •Recommendations •Bibliography •Appendices

Exploring strategies for promoting the use of research findings in practice

Following the integration of nurse and midwifery education into institutions of higher education in the United Kingdom, a number of studies have shown that a defined clinical framework for nursing and midwifery lecturers in practice areas is lacking. The aim of this study was to explore strategies that nurse and midwifery lecturers from one higher education institution in south east England can use to work collaboratively with nurses and midwives to promote the utilization of research findings in practice. A cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire was sent to a sample of 60 nurse and midwifery lecturers and 90 clinical managers. Response rates of 67% (40) and 69% (62) respectively were obtained. The main strategies suggested were to make clinical staff more aware of what research exist in their specialties; to help them to access research information from research databases; and to critically appraise this information. Other strategies were for teachers to run research workshops on site; to undertake joint research projects with clinical staff; to set up journal clubs or research interest groups; and to help formulate clinical guidelines and protocols which are explicitly research-based.

The assessment and development of drug calculation skills in nurse education: a critical debate

The drug calculation skill of nurses continues to be a national concern. The continued concern has led to the introduction of mandatory drug calculation skills tests which students must pass in order to go on to the nursing register. However, there is little evidence to demonstrate that nurses are poor at solving drug calculation in practice. This paper argues that nurse educationalists have inadvertently created a problem that arguably does not exist in practice through use of invalid written drug assessment tests and have introduced their own pedagogical practice of solving written drug calculations. This paper will draw on literature across mathematics, philosophy, psychology and nurse education to demonstrate why written drug assessments are invalid, why learning must take place predominantly in the clinical area and why the key focus on numeracy and formal mathematical skills as essential knowledge for nurses is potentially unnecessary.

Can effective teaching and learning strategies help student nurses to retain drug calculation skills?

Student nurses need to develop and retain drug calculation skills in order accurately to calculate drug dosages in clinical practice. If student nurses are to qualify and be fit to practise accurate drug calculation skills, then educational strategies need to not only show that the skills of student nurses have improved but that these skills have been retained over a period of time. A quasi-experimental approach was used to test the effectiveness of a range of strategies in improving retention of drug calculation skills. The results from an IV additive drug calculation test were used to compare the drug calculation skills of student nurses between two groups of students who had received different approaches to teaching drug calculation skills. The sample group received specific teaching and learning strategies in relation to drug calculation skills and the second group received only lectures on drug calculation skills. All test results for students were anonymous. The results from the test for both groups were statistically analysed using the Mann Whitney test to ascertain whether the range of strategies improved the results for the IV additive test. The results were further analysed and compared to ascertain the types and numbers of errors made in each of the sample groups. The results showed that there is a highly significant difference between the two samples using a two-tailed test (U=39.5, p<0.001). The strategies implemented therefore did make a difference to the retention of drug calculation skills in the students in the intervention group. Further research is required into the retention of drug calculation skills by students and nurses, but there does appears to be evidence to suggest that sound teaching and learning strategies do result in better retention of drug calculation skills.

Web-based course support systems: an essential tool for supporting flexible learning environment

In Higher Education web-based course support systems are essential for supporting flexible learning environments. They provide tools to enable the interaction between student and tutor to reinforce transfer of theory to understanding particularly in an academic environment, therefore this paper will examine issues associated with the use of curriculum and learning resources within Web-based course support systems and the effectiveness of the resulting flexible learning environments This paper is a general discussion about flexible learning and in this case how it was applied to one of the courses at undergraduate level one. The first section will introduce what is flexible learning and the importance of flexible learning in Higher Education followed by the description of the course and why the flexible learning concepts is important in such a course and finally, how the flexibility was useful for this particular instance.

Cross-cultural partnerships must talk to build trust

Academic partnerships bring knowledge and drive economic growth, but success depends on good communications that build trust, says Tim Gore.

Globalising knowledge

The technology enablers of Friedman’s Flat World have made enormous differences to knowledge creation and sharing. The disaggregation of supply chains has been followed by the partial disaggregation of knowledge supply chains as some knowledge producers set up innovation centres in various locations around the world. But there is considerable evidence that instead of a flat world distribution of knowledge production there are hubs of innovation and knowledge creation developing in a relatively limited number of locations around the world. This paper discusses this clustering effect and looks at some of the possible explanations. In particular it looks at the human and social aspects of knowledge creation and sharing that resist distance and are starting to be taken into account in the design of technological approaches to knowledge management.

Global research collaboration: the UKIERI India-UK initiative – lessons from practice for sustainable international partnerships

As knowledge development is claimed to underpin the development of globalisation, interest in research collaboration and its internationalisation has become more widespread. This paper looks at the motivations behind, and development of, higher educational collaborations with a focus on research collaboration, and also compares some of the key issues surrounding academic collaborations. It employs current thinking on strategic alliances and in particular on social network and social capital theories to judge how collaborations can best be encouraged and managed. The paper uses the specific case of India-UK relationship as an example and looks at the context and motivation for collaboration in these two countries. It presents the UK India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) and reviews how this initiative deals with the issues discussed by current writers in relation to collaboration, as well as drawing lessons from the initiative for research collaboration more widely.

South East London Palliative and End of Life Care Education and Training Strategy: Meeting the Education and Training Needs of the Health & Social Care Workforce Involved in the Care of Patients and Carers at the End of Life.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Aims 1. The aims of this strategy are • to ensure that a full range of education and training related to the adult end of life care pathway is available across South East London to meet the needs of our health and social care workforce • to enable those responsible for end of life care education and training commissioning to procure comprehensively from a full range of education providers in a systematic and strategic manner. Background 2. The work that underpins this strategy was begun by the South East London Cancer Network via its Palliative and End of Life Care Coordinating Group and then developed by way of the Marie Curie Delivering Choice Programme’s Education and Training work stream.

But no one in my family has been to university - aiming higher: school students attitudes to higher education

In this paper, we present findings from the second stage of a three year longitudinal study involving 3,570 students aged 13-18 in a London Borough looking at the impact of Widening Participation (WP) on the attitudes of students. We outline findings from a previous stage and then focus specifically on two cohorts of Year 10 students (aged 14-15) in two consecutive years. The students completed the specially designed Attitudes to Higher Education Questionnaire (AHEQ) and provided information on WP activities in which they had participated. Data on the students' academic attainment and social backgrounds were also included. There were significant sex and cohort differences and interactions which were found to be related to WP activities specifically aimed at increasing the participation of socially disadvantaged students in higher education. The implications of findings are discussed in relation to theories of social identity and self concept and the implementation of strategies to increase participation in Higher Education

Survival in 176 patients with inoperable non small cell lung cancer treated initially with chemotherapy in a district general hospital

In advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) platinum based chemotherapy with second generation drugs improves median survival (MS) to 8 months and 29% and 10% at 1 and 2 years. Platinum with a third generation drug can improve survival further (BMJ 1995;311: 899) (Spiro et al. Thorax 2004;59:828 Big Lung Trial; N Engl J Med 2003;346:92 ECOG study). NICE now recommends chemotherapy with platinum and a third generation drug for inoperable NSCLC as the first treatment modality. Methods: We audited survival of 176/461 consecutive patients referred for at least 3 courses of platinum and either gemcitabine or vinorelbine from July 2001 to December 2005. Minimal follow up 17 months. Chemotherapy was given on site. Radical radiotherapy for stage IIIA, palliative radiotherapy and second line drugs were given as felt appropriate. Results: 64% were male. 30 (17%) were <55 years ; 66 (37.5%) age 55–65 years; 63 (35.8%) aged 66–75 and 16 (9.1%) >75 years. 5 (2.8%) were stage II; 46 (26%) stage IIIA; 68 (38%) stage IIIB and 55 (30.8%) stage IV. 68 (38%) had 0– 2 courses; 63 (36%) 3 courses and 44 (25%) had 4 or more.

Accelerating innovation in the built environment by research and education

Awareness of climate change and adaptations of building stock play a key role in the UK government’s environmental agenda. While some European countries and countries like Japan move forward by bringing their sustainability agenda to the public sector, the UK seems to be slow in embracing these ideas and long term sustainability in improved products and processes for better performance, efficiency and innovative application of renewable technology is yet to come. While funding remains a major constraint research show that a number of detrimental issues including; organisation, risk, mind sets of the stakeholders, planning constraints, reluctance to accept change and the unexploited markets are major contributing factors. Most of these barriers can be overcome with research, development and information and knowledge transfer techniques. Educating all stakeholders can act as an accelerator for innovation. This paper examines innovation in the built environment and how research and education can stimulate this process. It explores drivers and barriers for innovation and how research and education in construction, design, engineering and project management can enhance this process. It presents and discusses lessons learnt from two action research projects in relation to innovation.