A quartet in E : investigating collaborative learning and tutoring as knowledge creation processes

This paper is a short report of a continuing international study that is investigating networked collaborative learning among an advanced community of learners engaged in a master’s programme in e-learning. The study is undertaking empirical work using content analysis (CA), critical event recall (CER) and social network analysis (SNA). The first two methods are employed in the work reported in this paper. We are particularly interested in knowledge creation among the participants as they engage in action research for their master’s work. At the same time, another underlying aim of the main study is to develop methodology, enrich theory and explore the ways in which praxis (theory informed tutoring and learning on the programme) and theory interact as we try to understand the complex processes of tutoring and learning. The paper reports some of the current findings of this work and discusses future prospects

Delivering distance education for modern government: The F4Gov programme at the University of Chester

The Foundation for Govenment (F4Gov) programme developed for the British Civil Service is an innovative low-cost accredited programme of distance learning using a dedicated Virtual Learning Environment designed to improve individual and hence organisational performance. It is flexible in terms of design and delivery and enables individuals and organisations to devise learning which meets their needs. The emphasis upon theory and practice is designed to reflect practice as well as embed deeper learning associated with higher education. The content of the programme is designed to equip participants with the skills necessary to deliver modern government

Modernity and morality in Habermas's discourse ethics

Discourse ethics is originally conceived as a programme of philosophical justification of morality. This depends on the formal derivation of the moral principle (U) from non-moral principles. The moral theory is supposed to fall out of a pragmatic theory of meaning. The original programme plays a central role in Habermas's social theory: the moral theory, if true, provides good evidence for the more general theory of modernization. But neither Habermas nor his followers have succeeded in providing a formal derivation. This essay shows how and why Habermas's proposed derivation is impossible. As if aware of the lacuna, Habermas has recently suggested that (U) can be derived by 'abduction' rather than deduction. The proposal draws heavily on modernization theory; hence the only justification for (U) now available to him rests on premises drawn from that theory. The original programme of the justification of morality has thus given way to the weaker programme of the philosophical elucidation of morality. Further, since Habermas's moral theory is no longer justified independently of modernization theory, but at least partly by it, the moral theory cannot without circularity provide evidence for the modernization theory

Can programme theory be used as a 'translational tool’ to optimise health service delivery in a national early years’ initiative in Scotland: a case study

Background Theory-based evaluation (TBE) approaches are heralded as supporting formative evaluation by facilitating increased use of evaluative findings to guide programme improvement. It is essential that learning from programme implementation is better used to improve delivery and to inform other initiatives, if interventions are to be as effective as they have the potential to be. Nonetheless, few studies describe formative feedback methods, or report direct instrumental use of findings resulting from TBE. This paper uses the case of Scotland’s, National Health Service, early years’, oral health improvement initiative (Childsmile) to describe the use of TBE as a framework for providing feedback on delivery to programme staff and to assess its impact on programmatic action.<p></p> Methods In-depth, semi-structured interviews and focus groups with key stakeholders explored perceived deviations between the Childsmile programme 'as delivered’ and its Programme Theory (PT). The data was thematically analysed using constant comparative methods. Findings were shared with key programme stakeholders and discussions around likely impact and necessary actions were facilitated by the authors. Documentary review and ongoing observations of programme meetings were undertaken to assess the extent to which learning was acted upon.<p></p> Results On the whole, the activities documented in Childsmile’s PT were implemented as intended. This paper purposefully focuses on those activities where variation in delivery was evident. Differences resulted from the stage of roll-out reached and the flexibility given to individual NHS boards to tailor local implementation. Some adaptations were thought to have diverged from the central features of Childsmile’s PT, to the extent that there was a risk to achieving outcomes. The methods employed prompted national service improvement action, and proposals for local action by individual NHS boards to address this.<p></p> Conclusions The TBE approach provided a platform, to direct attention to areas of risk within a national health initiative, and to agree which intervention components were 'core’ to its hypothesised success. The study demonstrates that PT can be used as a 'translational tool’ to facilitate instrumental use of evaluative findings to optimise implementation within a complex health improvement programme.<p></p&gt

A Complexity Science Based Approach to Programme Risk Management

Programme management has rapidly gained acceptance as a vehicle for achieving organisational strategic objectives and as a means of aligning projects with the overall strategy of the organisation. Managing programme risk poses challenges which are different from those in project management. Attempts to modify and apply project risk management techniques to programme risk management have experienced difficulties. The implications of the challenges of programme risk management extend beyond the tools and techniques. Recent research shows that that programme management is neither an extension, nor a scaled up version of project management. Philosophically, a paradigm shift from the predominantly mechanistic and reductionist mindset to a more appropriate paradigm based on complexity science and the theory of complex adaptive systems is required. This leads to the conclusion that the classic event based view of risk is inappropriate in modelling and analysing programme risk which need to be treated as holistic and dynamic

Testing the Master Constraint Programme for Loop Quantum Gravity V. Interacting Field Theories

This is the final fifth paper in our series of five in which we test the Master Constraint Programme for solving the Hamiltonian constraint in Loop Quantum Gravity. Here we consider interacting quantum field theories, specificlly we consider the non -- Abelean Gauss constraints of Einstein -- Yang -- Mills theory and 2+1 gravity. Interestingly, while Yang -- Mills theory in 4D is not yet rigorously defined as an ordinary (Wightman) quantum field theory on Minkowski space, in background independent quantum field theories such as Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG) this might become possible by working in a new, background independent representation.Comment: 20 pages, no figure

Oral health promotion and homelessness:a theory-based approach to understanding processes of implementation and adoption

Objective: To use the Theory of Diffusion of Innovations as a framework to explore the qualitative data gleaned from a process evaluation of the Smile4life intervention across Scottish National Health Service (NHS) Boards and to inform future oral health promotion and homelessness.Design: A qualitative exploration.Setting: In 2012, the Smile4life programme to promote the oral health of homeless people was launched in Scotland. Practitioners received training to ensure its successful implementation and adoption. A process evaluation began in February 2013.Method: A total of 20 oral health officers from the 11 participating NHS Boards took part in the process evaluation. They were interviewed each month for a 17-month period. Boards were placed into adoption categories based on the time taken to adoption. The data were analysed using a framework approach.Results: The Theory of Diffusion of Innovations was used to define ‘time to adoption’ and to classify participating NHS Boards’ adoption categories. It was also used to identify diffusion variables that underpinned Smile4life adoption. For Boards that more readily adopted Smile4life, the diffusion variables of familiarity and good social exchanges appeared to promote implementation. Numerous conflicts emerged, however, in late adoption Boards. These included a lack of resources and practitioner ambivalence, which slowed up implementation.Conclusion: The Theory of Diffusion of Innovations provided a useful theoretical framework for understanding the processes in the implementation and adoption of the Smile4life programme. It allowed specific training requirements for the practitioners to emerge to facilitate diffusion of the programme in their Boards