79,702 research outputs found
Big Data Techniques to Improve Learning Access and Citizen Engagement for Adults in Urban Environments
This presentation explores the emerging concept of âBig Data in Educationâ and introduces
novel technologies and approaches for addressing inequalities in access to participation and
success in lifelong learning, to produce better life outcomes for urban citizens. It introduces
the work of the new Urban Big Data Centre (UBDC) at the University of Glasgow, presenting
a case study of its first data product â the integrated Multimedia City Data (iMCD) project.
Educational engagement and predictive factors are presented for adult learners, and older
adult learners, in a representative survey of 1500 households. This was followed up with
mobility tracking data using GPS data and wearable camera images, as well as one yearâs
worth of contextual data from over one hundred web sources (social media, news, weather).
The chapter introduces the complex dataset that can help stakeholders, academics, citizens
and other external users examine active aging and citizen learning engagement in the
modern urban city, and thus support the development of the learning city. It concludes with a call for a more three-dimensional view of citizen-learnersâ daily activity and mobility, such
as satellite, mobile phone and active travel application data, alongside administrative data
linkage to further explore lifelong learning participation and success. Policy implications are
provided for addressing inequalities, and interventions proposed for how cities might
promote equal and inclusive adult learning engagement in the face of continued austerity
cuts and falling adult learner numbers
<i>âWhat retentionâ means to me</i>: the position of the adult learner in student retention
Studies of student retention and progression overwhelmingly appear adopt definitions that place the institution, rather than the student, at the centre. Retention is most often conceived in terms of linear and continuous progress between institutionally identified start and end points.
This paper reports on research that considered data from 38 in-depth interviews conducted with individuals who had characteristics often associated with non-traditional engagement in higher education who between 2006 and 2010 had studied an âIntroduction to HEâ module at one distance higher education institution, some of whom had progressed to further study at that institution, some of whom had not. The research deployed a life histories approach to seek a finer grained understanding of how individuals conceptualise their own learning journey and experience, in order to reflect on institutional conceptions of student retention.
The findings highlight potential anomalies hidden within institutional retention rates â large proportions of the interview participants who were not âretainedâ by the institution reported successful progression to and in other learning institutions and environments, both formal and informal. Nearly all described positive perspectives on lifelong learning which were either engendered or improved by the learning undertaken. This attests to the complexity of individualsâ lives and provides clear evidence that institution-centric definitions of retention and progression are insufficient to create truly meaningful understanding of successful individual learning journeys and experiences. It is argued that only through careful consideration of the lived experience of students and a re-conception of measures of retention, will we be able to offer real insight into improving student retention
Developing our evidence base (information document)
"Purpose: âTo provide high quality ,timely evidence that informs and challenges DCELLS strategies , policies and programmesâ. This document outlines DCELLS' current and future analytical priorities.
It reflects the fact that DCELLSâ work impacts not only upon education, learning and
training within and beyond Wales, but also on many other aspects of peopleâs lives
such as health and social care, economic prospects, engagement with society, and
individual and community well-being." - page 5
- âŠ