An Evaluative Case Study of a Career Coaching Approach to Improving Student Placement Success in a UK Business School

Describes the innovative approach adopted in a UK business school to improve the number of student placements. A module was designed to provide students with the skills to search, apply for and gain a year-long placement as part of a degree ‘sandwich’ course. A blend of workshops, recorded lectures, online formative feedback exercises and one-to-one career coaching created a tailored, practical approach to skill enhancement. This session provides the presentation of the adopted methodology the results of the evaluative research, a live demonstration of the coaching approach and a discussion with the audience of ideas for development of the approach.

Categorising Asynchronous Discussion Threads: Improving the Quality of Student Learning

My paper will focus on the generative potential of categorising asynchronous discussion threads as one strategy for improving the quality of students’ learning in a blended learning module. The approach to categorisation is based on social network analysis using intuitively simple descriptors of message posting patterns e.g. passive facilitator, dominant facilitator, unresponsive star and formulaic discussion. The intention is to produce descriptively vivid illustrative examples of the categories and to begin to suggest affordances of the different participation patterns. Looking forward to the beginning of the next module, it is anticipated that discussion during the module of approaches to participating in asynchronous discussion will contribute to effective engagement patterns and deeper learning.

Leadership in Improving Schools: A Qualitative Perspective

This article reports early case-study data gathered from 20 schools involved in the ‘Impact of School Leadership on Pupil Outcomes’ project. We present and discuss the perceptions of headteachers and other school leaders regarding leadership factors that directly and indirectly affect pupil outcomes in these improving schools. Included are issues relating to the pivotal role played by the headteacher in setting and communicating a strategic vision for the school; models of distributed leadership; and the building of leadership capacity so as to build a collective responsibility for the improvement of pupil outcomes.

Exploring and Improving Access to Direct Payments by People with Dementia Living in Rural Communities

Direct payments are cash payments made to individuals eligible for social care services which allow them to manage and pay for their own social care rather than receiving it directly from their Local Authority. Research suggests that direct payments can enable people with dementia to stay in their own home for longer, and experience greater choice, flexibility and an improved social life. However, uptake of direct payments is currently low. People living in rural communities may particularly benefit from the additional flexibility offered by direct payments; however they may face difficulties accessing appropriate services. The aim of Phase 1 of the research is to explore the reasons why people with dementia who live in rural communities do or do not gain access to direct payments. This will be achieved through analysis of direct payment uptake data, focus groups with social workers, examination of online discussions about direct payments, and interviews with people with dementia, carers and social workers. Findings will inform Phase 2 of the research: the building and pilot testing of an intervention which can be utilised in rural communities to maximise access to direct payments by people with dementia.