Provision for students with learning difficulties in general colleges of further education - have we been going round in circles?

This is a PDF version of an article published in British journal of special education© 2006. The definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.com.This article discusses the current situation for students with severe learning difficulties in general colleges of further education. Findings are presented from a critical review of the literature and a small-scale preliminary investigation which set out to explore the idea that, despite radical changes to the special school sector and to the structure and organisation of further education, provision in colleges of further education for these students is poorly focused. Students with severe learning difficulties experience provision that is, at best, circuitous and repetitive and that, at worst, leads individuals back into dependence, unemployment and social segregation. Using the outcomes of interviews and the scrutiny of inspection reports, a searching critique of current practice and an interesting set of recommendations for ways in which the situation could be radically reviewed and improved is provided

Reflections on becoming a teacher and the challenges of teacher education

In this lecture, the context and conditions of becoming a teacher from the time of being selected into the programme, through the process of training and being retained to teach are discussed within the framework of Teacher Education in Nigeria. First, the concepts and the history of teacher education are examined. Then, some critical issues as well as my personal research efforts on teacher education are discussed. Finally, recommendations for meeting the challenges of Teacher Education in Nigeria are made

Some Remarks on the Effectiveness of Primary Education Interventions

In this paper I survey the recent economics of education literature in order to identify which education policies can effectively improve the quality of primary schooling, as measured by pupil test-based achievements. Particular attention is devoted to the experience of England, a country which has made substantial investments over the past decade aimed at improving its primary education. Evidence suggests that broadly scoped resource-based programmes deliver less than more targeted policies. Additionally, a growing body of research shows that interventions that enhance choice and competition among education-service providers, and motivate teachers through pecuniary rewards, have some scope in raising education standards. I conclude my survey by discussing some broad concerns with modes of education provision centred on choice and competition, mainly pupil segregation along the lines of ability and family background.primary schools, resources, choice and competition, incentives

'Democracy begins in conversation’: the phenomenology of problem-based learning and legal education

Learning is complex for any number of reasons. One of these is that it doesn’t take place in a laboratory: it happens in real places, within and between real people, and as a consequence it takes place in multi-factorial environments. At every stage of learning in Higher Education (HE), from student choice of institution and programme, to the transfer of learning from theory to practice, to a single institution’s or a teacher’s evaluation of teaching and learning, there are many causal factors that affect educational process and outcome. The complexities and variables created by the interaction of such multiple factors, well known in the field of education, make learning a highly complex phenomenon to analyse and understand

Technology and Australia's Future: New technologies and their role in Australia's security, cultural, democratic, social and economic systems

Chapter 1. Introducing technology -- Chapter 2. The shaping of technology -- Chapter 3. Prediction of future technologies -- Chapter 4. The impacts of technology -- Chapter 5. Meanings, attitudes and behaviour -- Chapter 6. Evaluation -- Chapter 7. Intervention -- Conclusion - adapt or wither.This report was commisioned by Australian Council of Learned Academies

Analysis of perceived benefits and potential costs to users in co-creation : examining users that opt out of co-creation

Successful customer co-creation results in higher firm profitability and greater efficienc ies. Firms strategically increase customer co-creation activities to generate novel solutions that would otherwise go uncaptured. Despite the benefits of co-creation, the literature leaves the users’ attitude and profile unexplored and wholly overlooks possible cost to users in participation. This thesis aims to better understand the differences between users that opt in and out of co-creation by analyzing potential costs of participation (in terms of time, risk and effort) and analyzing the perceived benefits that influences and (de)motivates users to co-create. The perceived benefits tested include hedonic, utility and individualism benefits, and user perceptions of fairness in value distribution. Demographic variables were tested for profile building purposes. Independent-samples t-test and Chi-square tests were employed to compare and contrast users’ likelihood of participation and evaluate mean scores of each variable. Data was collected through an online questionnaire was administered to 231 participants. Results determined that the perceived benefits are statistically significant thus effect users’ likelihood of participation and that the higher the perceived cost in participation, the less likely a user is to participate. These findings hold implications for how firms should approach co-creation design and how they should structure marketing communications to increase participation rates.Processos de cocriação bem-sucedidos resultam na criação de valor através de modelos mais lucrativos e eficientes. A opção de recorrer a processos de cocriação com o envolvimento do cliente faz parte de uma decisão estratégica da empresa que procura capturar valor através da geração de novas soluções com particularidades que de outra forma não seria capturadas. Apesar dos benefícios, a literatura académica conclui que o perfil do utilizador é muito diversificado e pouco explorado. Para além disso, muitos dos custos de implementação e utilização destes processos não serem contemplados. Esta tese tem como objetivo fazer uma análise detalhada sobre a diferença entre os utilizadores que optam e os que não optam por recorrer a processos de cocriação, analisando potencias custos de participação (em termos de tempo, risco e dedicação) e diferenciando potenciais benefícios. Os eventuais benefícios que foram testados incluem hedonismo, utilidade e benefícios individuais, e a perceção de justiça por parte do utilizador relativamente à forma como o valor gerado é distribuído entre as partes envolvidas. Variáveis demográficas ou perfis específicos foram testados. De forma a comparar e contrastar a probabilidade de participação dos utilizadores e avaliar as médias de cada variável foram realizadas amostras independentes através de métodos estatísticos, t-test e qui-quadrado. As amostras recolhidas foram obtidas através de um questionário online realizado a 231 participantes. Os resultados concluem que a perceção relativamente aos benefícios gerados por cocriação é estatisticamente significativa bem como a probabilidade de participação nestes processos. Para além disso, concluiu-se que quanto maior é a perceção relativamente aos custos necessários à cocriação, menor é a disponibilidade do utilizador para participar. Estes resultados providenciam alguns insights sobre como a empresa deve estabelecer processos de cocriação e como deve estruturar a sua comunicação para aumentar o número de participantes

Railway reform in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) economies

In May 1992, the World Bank hosted a Railway Rountable in Vienna, Austria, attended by transport ministers, advisors, and senior railway staff from the Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. The Roundtable reviewed recent trends in the railways'roles in these countries and identified appropriate actions to address emerging transport issues in the CEE region. The Bank prepared this strategy paper based on the discussions and the apparent widespread consensus that emerged at the Rountable. The financial situation of the CEE railways is beginning to deteriorate rapidly, and the CEE railways are not well positioned to provide good, reliable service to their increasingly market-driven customers. These countries are thus under increasing pressure to restructure their railways to relieve financial pressures and meet future needs. Railways in market economies have faced a steadily declining role in the transport market, and have typically dealt with emerging problems by tinkering at the margin - for example, by debt write-offs - and thus delaying attacking their underlying structural problems. Many of these governments have come to the conclusion that drastic surgeryis required - as illustrated by the British, German, and Japanese railways. The agenda for change that emerged from this Roundtable emphasized developing a strategic plan for restructuring the railway. This plan should define the market; project the level of activity (tons, ton-kilometers and freight tariffs, passenger-kilometers and passenger fares) for all business activities; include a five-year financial plan for the different lines of railway business (to make options concrete); and define all government policies and changes that would put the railway on a level playing field with competing modes of transportation. One item on the agenda for change is to convert the current railway enterprise operating under normal commercial law. The board of directors should include representatives from government, the railway executive and high-level business or public representatives from outside of government. Formation of JSC or independent enterprise does not necessarily imply privatization of the railway because the underlying assets may well remain in public hands. The objective is to change the enterprises'authority and enhance their commercial orientation. The other item on the agenda for change is to have the explicit mission of the railway be to operate freight and intercity passenger services on a commercial basis, with revenues from services covering all costs, including a return on investment. Social services such as urban passengers, should be identified and supported by the appropriate governmental agencies.Environmental Economics&Policies,Roads&Highways,Public Sector Economics&Finance,Railways Transport,Banks&Banking Reform

Independent- Oct. 24, 1994

https://neiudc.neiu.edu/independent/1126/thumbnail.jp