Teaching Entrepreneurship to Postgraduates

The motivation for this work is to provide a distinct sister volume to Teaching Entrepreneurship to Undergraduates. The first volume sought to promote a learner-centred approach to thinking about how to teach entrepreneurship to undergraduates. This volume seeks to define the difference in thinking between teaching entrepreneurship to postgraduates as opposed to undergraduates. Therefore, a common structure is retained across both volumes, with attention given to both subtle and major differences between the motivation and process of learning related to entrepreneurship education for postgraduates and undergraduates. It is hoped that this sister volume will be as distinctive and innovative in terms of its constant focus on challenging issues, possible solutions to those challenges (based both the author’s practice and that of other educators situated in various global contexts), and probing questions to prompt reflection of your own teaching practice.

A pilot education on heart failure self-management and introduction of the teach-back method to cardiac nurses in Vietnam

It is recognised that patients with chronic disease are unable to remembercorrectly information provided by health care profesionals. The teach-back method is acknowledgedas a technique to improve patients’ understanding. Yet it is not used in nursing practice in Vietnam. Objectives This study sought to examine knowledge background of heart failure among cardiac nurses, introduce a education about heart failure self-management and the teach-back method to assist teaching patients on self-care. The study also wanted to explore if a short education could benefit nurses’ knowledge so they would be qualified to deliver education to patients. Methods A pre/post-test design was employed. Cardiac nurses from 3 hospitals (Vietnam National Heart Institute, E Hospital, Huu Nghi Hospital) were invited to attend a six-hour educational session which covered both the teach-back method and heart failure self-management. Role-play with scenarios were used to reinforce educational contents. The Dutch Heart Failure Knowledge Scale was used to assess nurses’ knowledge of heart failure at baseline and after the educational session. Results 20 nurses from3 selected hospitals participated. Average age was 34.5±7.9 years and years of nursing experience was 11.6±8.3. Heart failure knowledge score at the baseline was 12.7±1.2 and post education was 13.8±1.0. There was deficiency of nurses knowledge regarding fluid restriction among heart failure people, causes of worsening heart failure. Heart failure knowledge improved significantly following the workshop (p < 0.001). All nurses achieved an overall adequate knowledge score (≥11 of the maximum 15) at the end. 100% of nurses agreed that the teach-back method was effective and could be used to educate patients about heart failure self-management. Conclusions The results of this study have shown the effectiveness of the piloteducaiton in increasing nurses’ knowledge of heart failure. The teach-back method is accepted for Vietnamese nurses to use in routine cardiac practice.

Interest in university studies : Its role and relation to other motivational variables

This dissertation empirically explored interest as a motivational force in university studies, including the role it currently plays and possible ways of enhancing this role as a student motivator. The general research questions were as follows: 1) What role does interest play in university studies? 2) What explains academic success if studying is not based on interest? 3) How do different learning environments support or impede interest-based studying? Four empirical studies addressed these questions. Study 1 (n=536) compared first-year students explanations of their disciplinary choices in three fields: veterinary medicine, humanities and law. Study 2 (n=28) focused on the role of individual interest in the humanities and veterinary medicine, fields which are very different from each other as regards their nature of studying. Study 3 (n=52) explored veterinary students motivation and study practices in relation to their study success. Study 4 (n=16) explored veterinary students interest experience in individual lectures on a daily basis. By comparing different fields and focusing on one study field in more detail, it was possible to obtain a many-sided picture of the role of interest in different learning environments. Questionnaires and quantitative methods have often been used to measure interest in academic learning. The present work is based mostly on qualitative data, and qualitative methods were applied to add to the previous research. Study 1 explored students open-ended answers, and these provided a basis for the interviews in Study 2. Study 3 explored veterinary students portfolios in a longitudinal setting. For Study 4, a diary including both qualitative and quantitative measures was designed to capture veterinary students interest experience. Qualitative content analysis was applied in all four studies, but quantitative analyses were also added. The thesis showed that university students often explain their disciplinary choices in terms of interest. Because interest is related to high-quality learning, the students seemed to have a good foundation for successful studies. However, the learning environments did not always support interest-based studying; Time-management and coping skills were found to be more important than interest in terms of study success. The results also indicated that interest is not the only motivational variable behind university studies. For example, future goals are needed in order to complete a degree. Even so, the results clearly indicated that it would be worth supporting interest-based studying both in professionally and generally oriented study fields. This support is important not only to promote high-quality learning but also meaningful studying, student well-being, and life-long learning.

Workshop on Conceptual/Theoretical Studies and Model Development including the MODEL Task Team Report; BASS Team Report; REX Task Team Reports

A workshop was convened by the MODEL Task Team and held June 23-28, 1996, in Nemuro, Japan, to develop the modeling requirements of the PICES Climate Change and Carrying Capacity (CCCC) Program. It was attended by over 40 scientists from all member nations of PICES. The principal objectives of the workshop were to • review the roles and limitations of modeling for the CCCC program; • propose the level of modeling required; and • provide a plan for how to promote these modeling activities. Secondary activities at the workshop included organisational meetings of the Regional comparisons (REX) and Basin-scale experiment (BASS) Task Teams, and a symposium by Japan-GLOBEC on “Development and application of new technologies for measurement and modeling in marine ecosystems.” This report serves as a record of the proceedings of this workshop. (PDF contains 89 pages)

Networks for Knowledge: Social Media enthuses students of Early Years Education

Networks for Knowledge (n4k Ltd) are a Work Based Learning organisation which specialises in Early Years Education. Training and Development Manager, Elaine Wareing has developed the use of Facebook and Twitter to promote peer learning and interaction beyond the classroom. It also allows trainers to discuss ideas and challengers with a wider group of learners. This has allowed practitioners across a wide geographical area to share their thoughts and ideas together on some of the subjects relating to early years practice.

League Football Education: Tackling the football apprenticeship programme online through Moodle

Faced with the challenging task of organising education for football apprentices across 74 English Football League clubs, League Football Education (LFE) has implemented Moodle as a key part of its strategy to meet the requirements for this geographically dispersed set of learners and educators. Developments currently focus on administrative processes, including the creation of learner accounts at pre-programme enrolment, initial literacy and numeracy assessments, undertaking reviews and tracking progress.

Designing Spaces for Effective Learning: A guide to 21st century learning space design

Increasing investment in estate and learning technologies, combined with the need for more cost-effective space utilisation, is making it increasingly important for senior managers to keep abreast of new thinking about the design of technology-rich learning spaces. Designing Spaces for Effective Learning, one of a series of guides, was launched at the JISC Conference 2006 which helped to meet this need. A visually-rich publication, it was designed to promote better understanding of what makes an effective design for the 21 century and to summarise the key points to consider when approaching a refurbishment or new-build project. The publication takes the reader on a ’walk through’ an educational institution, exploring the relationship between learning technologies and innovative examples of physical space design at each stage of the journey. Discussion of the key points is illustrated by ten case studies from further and higher education, and floor plans from AMA Alexi Marmot Associates, architects and space planners, which provide up-to-date guidelines on the integration of technologies into teaching and learning accommodation.

Noren alde heztera zoaz? Etika hegemonikoa versus gizartea

Lanak planteatzen duen galdera, hezitzaileek bere eginbeharraren inguruan hausnartzera bideratuta dago. Egungo sistema kapitalistaren barruan hezkuntzak duen erabilera desestali nahian, bizi dugun egoera aztertu egin da eta erabiltzen diren kontrol mekanismoak. Egoera honen aurrean, behar den hezkuntza erantzuna zabaldu nahi da, Paulo Freireren pedagogia eragilearen (problematizatzailearen) ildoan. Horretarako, aspektu teoriko nagusiak zehaztu dira eta ikuspegi kritikoa praktikan jartzeko esperientziak aurkeztu. Gure pedagogia erresistentziaren pedagogia izan behar du, egun kapitalismoak isiltasunera eta deshumanizaziora bultzatzen dituen pertsona horiek hitza berreskura dezaten. Lan hau beraz, ekarpen didaktikoa da hezitzailearen eginbehar konplexu eta arduratsuan laguntzeko, bere erantzukizun soziala gain har dezan.

Ética para além da moral: os apelos para o reconhecimento na escola

Este trabalho tem como proposta problematizar os atos de transgressões operados no cotidiano escolar sob os preceitos da ética e dos valores morais. Na interseção entre filosofia, psicanálise e educação tecemos nossa reflexão sobre o assunto, deflagrando alguns estudos pertinentes aos discursos conceituais, à questão da constituição dos sujeitos e das regras sociais, bem como de um fazer docente que questione os atos de transgressão no espaço da educação. Tal pesquisa se deve à inquietação provocada pelo contexto da sociedade hodierna, a qual, mergulhada numa grave crise de violência e de valores éticos, reavalia e revalida princípios e conceitos que, nitidamente, diante de uma conjuntura cada vez mais inclinada aos apelos do capital, vem deixando de nortear as relações sociais no decorrer dos anos. Neste contexto, o docente é cada vez mais convocado a desempenhar papéis que outrora pertenciam a outras categorias sociais, principalmente, com o avanço das escolas públicas de tempo integral. Aludimos assim a esta realidade, o desafio de engajar a ação educativa em demandas de eticidade. Aparar as arestas de um objeto de investigação tão amplo não é tarefa simples, portanto, consideraremos alguns recortes da constituição psíquica e social dos sujeitos. Analisando o lugar da ética na relação ensino/aprendizagem, no processo de formação escolar e no fazer docente, trabalhamos com o pressuposto de que a tensão sofrida cotidianamente pela criança e pelo adolescente, de um lado pelo tecido social, família, escola e Estado e do outro, pelo desejo de ser reconhecido nos grupos sociais, podem mesmo acirrar comportamentos inadequados e violentos na escola. Portanto, a postura adotada pelo educador frente aos conflitos internos e externos do aluno poderá, paradoxalmente, facilitar ou mesmo impedir uma dada má ação no seio da escola. Nossa finalidade é promover reflexões possíveis sobre as dimensões da ética nas relações manifestadas principalmente entre o docente e o aluno, acreditando que a existência de um espaço coletivo de discussão poderá contribuir para que ambos encontrem saídas próprias frente aos impasses que a questão ético/moral no âmbito educativo impõe.

Deconstructing 'Mono'-Lingualism: considerations of value for 'English' 'language' education in a global setting.

Traditionally, language speakers are categorised as mono-lingual, bilingual, or multilingual. It is traditionally assumed in English language education that the ‘lingual’ is something that can be ‘fixed’ in form, written down to be learnt, and taught. Accordingly, the ‘mono’-lingual will have a ‘fixed’ linguistic form. Such a ‘form’ differs according to a number of criteria or influences including region or ‘type’ of English (for example, World Englishes) but is nevertheless assumed to be a ‘form’. ‘Mono-lingualism’ is defined and believed, traditionally, to be ‘speaking one language’; wherever that language is; or whatever that language may be. In this chapter, grounded in an individual subjective philosophy of language, we question this traditional definition. Viewing language from the philosophical perspectives such as those of Bakhtin and Voloshinov, we argue that the prominence of ‘context’ and ‘consciousness’ in language means that to ‘fix’ the form of a language goes against the very spirit of how it is formed and used. We thus challenge the categorisation of ‘mono’-lingualism; proposing that such a categorisation is actually a category error, or a case ‘in which a property is ascribed to a thing that could not possibly have that property’ (Restivo, 2013, p. 175), in this case the property of ‘mono’. Using this proposition as a starting point, we suggest that more time be devoted to language in its context and as per its genuine use as a vehicle for consciousness. We theorise this can be done through a ‘literacy’ based approach which fronts the context of language use rather than the language itself. We outline how we envision this working for teachers, students and materials developers of English Language Education materials in a global setting. To do this we consider Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence as an exemplar to promote conscious language use in context.

Trends in use of electronic journals in higher education in the UK - views of academic staff and students

Bonthron, Karen; Urquhart, Christine; Thomas, Rhian; Armstrong, Chris; Ellis, David; Everitt, Jean; Fenton, Roger; Lonsdale, Ray; McDermott, Elizabeth; Morris, Helen; Phillips, Rebecca; Spink, Sian, and Yeoman, Alison. (2003, June). Trends in use of electronic journals in higher education in the UK - views of academic staff and students. D-Lib Magazine, 9(6). Retrieved September 8, 2006 from http://www.dlib.org/dlib/june03/urquhart/06urquhart.html This item is freely available online at http://www.dlib.org/dlib/june03/urquhart/06urquhart.html Sponsorship: JISC

Learning to Teach and its Implications for the Continuum of Teacher Education: A Nine Country Cross-national Study.

The purpose of this Report is to inform discussions, policy formulation, and strategic planning on teacher education in Ireland. The research gives priority to initial teacher education (ITE) and induction, their interface, and implications for the continuum of teacher education, including continuing professional development (CPD). The study involved a two-pronged approach: a narrative review of recent and relevant literature and a cross-national review of teacher education policies in nine countries, namely, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, Finland, USA, Poland, Singapore and New Zealand. Adopting a broad, balanced and comprehensive understanding of the role of the contemporary teacher, it provides a framework for developing quality teacher education in Ireland. The Report incorporates exemplars of good practice and notes their implementation challenges for the Irish context.  Chapter One provides a framework for conceptualising quality teacher education and the continuum. Key features that emerge from the literature are discussed: teachers¿ practice, quality teaching, the professional life-cycle, teacher learning and relationships. With more specific reference to the continuum, Chapter Two overviews initial teacher education, induction, learning outcomes and accreditation in the selected countries, including Ireland. Key features of policy in the various countries are summarised. Individual country profiles, incorporating descriptions of socio-political, teaching and teacher education contexts, are further detailed in Appendix A. Chapter Three analyses relevant literature on initial teacher education, induction, learning outcomes/professional standards and accreditation. Along with previous chapters it provides the basis for recommendations for teacher education that are presented in Chapter Four. Chapter Four draws together the findings emerging from the cross-national review in terms of the contemporary context of teacher education in Ireland and identifies key challenges and possible lines of policy development as well as recommendations for the Teaching Council and other teacher education stakeholders. Each generation has an opportunity to provide the vision and resources for renewing teacher education in light of ambitious social, economic and educational aspirations to meet perceived societal and education challenges (as occurred in the 1970s). Despite the publication of two key reviews of initial teacher education a number of years ago, there is considerable scope for further reform of teacher education. However, significant changes have occurred to teacher education course provision and content over the last 100 years. In this report, we have stressed the need for, and called for investment in, greater system and programme coherence, mentoring to support assisted practice, knowledge integration, critical reflective practice, inquiry and the development of vibrant partnerships between higher education institutions and schools as the basis for teacher education reform across the continuum. This Executive Summary presents the Report¿s context, key findings and recommendations emerging from the analysis.  

Analyzing and selecting tasks for mathematics teaching: a heuristic

In planning units and lessons every day, teachers face the problem of designing a sequence of activities to promote learning. In particular, they are expected to foster the development of learning goals in their students. Based on the idea of learning path of a task, we describe a heuristic procedure to enable teachers to characterize a learning goal in terms of its cognitive requirements and to analyze and select tasks based on this characterization. We then present an example of how a group of future teachers used this heuristic in a preservice teachers training course and discuss its contributions and constraints.

Fostering 'habits of reflection, independent study and free inquiry': an analysis of the short-lived phenomenon of General/Liberal Studies in English vocational education and training

In 1957, 12 years after the end of World War II, the Ministry of Education issued Circular 323 to promote the development of an element of ‘liberal studies’ in courses offered by technical and further education (FE) colleges in England. This was perceived to be in some ways a peculiar or uncharacteristic development. However, it lasted over 20 years, during which time most students on courses in FE colleges participated in what were termed General or Liberal Studies classes that complemented and/or contrasted with the technical content of their vocational programmes. By the end of the 1970s, these classes had changed in character, moving away from the concept of a ‘liberal education’ towards a prescribed diet of ‘communication studies’. The steady decline in apprenticeship numbers from the late 1960s onwards accelerated in the late 1970s, resulting in a new type of student (the state-funded ‘trainee’) into colleges whose curriculum would be prescribed by the Manpower Services Commission. This paper examines the Ministry’s thinking and charts the rise and fall of a curriculum phenomenon that became immortalised in the ‘Wilt’ novels of Tom Sharpe. The paper argues that the Ministry of Education’s concerns half a century ago are still relevant now, particularly as fresh calls are being made to raise the leaving age from compulsory education to 18, and in light of attempts in England to develop new vocational diplomas for full-time students in schools and colleges.

Challenge of culture, conscience, and contract to general practitioners' care of their own health: qualitative study

Objective: To explore general practitioners' perceptions of the effects of their profession and training on their attitudes to illness in themselves and colleagues. Design: Qualitative study using focus groups and indepth interviews. Setting: Primary care in Northern Ireland. Participants: 27 general practitioners, including six recently appointed principals and six who also practised occupational medicine part time. Main outcome measures: Participants' views about their own and colleagues' health. Results: Participants were concerned about the current level of illness within the profession. They described their need to portray a healthy image to both patients and colleagues. This hindered acknowledgement of personal illness and engaging in health screening. Embarrassment in adopting the role of a patient and concerns about confidentiality also influenced their reactions to personal illness. Doctors' attitudes can impede their access to appropriate health care for themselves, their families, and their colleagues. A sense of conscience towards patients and colleagues and the working arrangements of the practice were cited as reasons for working through illness and expecting colleagues to do likewise. Conclusions: General practitioners perceive that their professional position and training adversely influence their attitudes to illness in themselves and their colleagues. Organisational changes within general practice, including revalidation, must take account of barriers experienced by general practitioners in accessing health care. Medical education and culture should strive to promote appropriate self care among doctors.