Considering the impact of Further and Higher Education tutor imaginings of BTEC learners upon student learner identities

It is acknowledged BTEC learners have less success within HE; however, data on progression and award gaps tends towards the quantitative, limiting the narrative and reasoning behind this picture. This research addresses the shortage of qualitative data, illuminating the ways BTEC students are differently imagined and supported within FE and HE, considering how these perceptions shape students’ own emerging sense of self and belonging as learners within HE. This was achieved through a multi-method qualitative approach, synthesising data from students’ own lived experiences and the perceptions of academic staff working in further and higher education, from a Business and Law School context. Key findings included: • Tutors from both further and higher education shared perceptions of the strengths and challenges of students pursuing or entering University with BTEC qualifications. • In HE, awareness of these strengths and challenges are responded to through development of general and tailored support, and sharing experiences with students. • Students recognise a reduction in the level of one-to-one academic support in HE, but similarities were located in personal tutor support. • Students placed value upon the wider network of support within HE, going beyond academic support. • Tutors from both environments perceived a greater challenge for student transition in the expectations of developing as an independent learner within HE. • Students found greater challenge in adapting to the social element of university than the academic side. • Students acknowledged the support received in HE was crucial in their transition into university, cementing their decision to pursue HE and developing a sense of learner identity and belonging. • The stigma of BTEC qualifications reduced self-confidence amongst the student participants, with greater impact before starting university

The case for new academic workspaces

Executive summary: This report draws upon the combined efforts of a number of estates professionals, architects, academics, designers, and senior managers involved in the planning of new university buildings for the 21st century. Across these perspectives, all would agree – although perhaps for different reasons - that this planning is difficult and that a number of particular considerations apply in the design of academic workspaces. Despite these difficulties, they will also agree that when this planning goes well, ‘good’ buildings are truly transformational – for both the university as a whole and the people who work and study in them. The value of well-designed buildings goes far beyond their material costs, and endures long after those costs have been forgotten ..

A framework for the adoption and diffusion of Personal Learning Environments in commercial organisations: an exploratory study in the learning and development sector in the UK

This study presents an exploratory approach to identify the main factors of Personal Learning Environment (PLE) adoption and diffusion within commercial organisations. Utilising an inductive investigative approach via the use of Grounded Theory methodology, relevant adoption factors were identified and their resulting influence during various stages of the innovation diffusion process were proposed. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews followed by systematic analysis using a three-staged coding process. The results revealed 10 factors affecting the adoption of PLEs influencing the innovation diffusion process at various stages. Informed by the Technology Acceptance Model and Innovation Diffusion Theory, the proposed model could have important implications for key decision makers within commercial organisations, while adopting, rejecting and assimilating new technological innovations (e.g. PLE) for learning delivery

The adoption of open sources within higher education in Europe : a dissemination case study

For some time now, the open-source (OS) phenomenon has been making its presence felt; disrupting the economics of the software industry and, by proxy, the business of education. A combination of the financial pressure Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) find themselves under and the increasing focus on the use of technology to enhance students' learning have encouraged many HEIs to look towards alternative approaches to teaching and learning. Meanwhile, the "OS" has challenged assumptions about how intellectual products are created and protected and has greatly increased the quantity and arguably the quality of educational technologies available to HEIs

Review of the environmental and organisational implications of cloud computing: final report.

Cloud computing – where elastic computing resources are delivered over the Internet by external service providers – is generating significant interest within HE and FE. In the cloud computing business model, organisations or individuals contract with a cloud computing service provider on a pay-per-use basis to access data centres, application software or web services from any location. This provides an elasticity of provision which the customer can scale up or down to meet demand. This form of utility computing potentially opens up a new paradigm in the provision of IT to support administrative and educational functions within HE and FE. Further, the economies of scale and increasingly energy efficient data centre technologies which underpin cloud services means that cloud solutions may also have a positive impact on carbon footprints. In response to the growing interest in cloud computing within UK HE and FE, JISC commissioned the University of Strathclyde to undertake a Review of the Environmental and Organisational Implications of Cloud Computing in Higher and Further Education [19]

'Getting Started': pre-induction access to higher education

Abstract: The transition to higher education poses challenges on many levels. One UK University has piloted a scheme that is designed to prepare prospective students for academic study. ‘Getting Started’ gives prospective students access to the university’s virtual learning environment, prior to induction where they are invited to post queries to a discussion board moderated by a team of support staff and tutors. In 2008 the decision was made to extend the project to include a suite of learning development materials called ‘Snapshot’. This contains bite sized chunks, or ‘snapshots’, of academic practice including academic thinking, reading and writing. Each chunk of information includes an activity designed to encourage early independent, self motivated learning. These combined projects tackle the challenges of entrance into higher education for students from both traditional and non-traditional backgrounds and offer a model of good practice designed to convert offers to places and improve retention

Learning in Social Networks: Rationale and Ideas for Its Implementation in Higher Education

The internet has fast become a prevalent medium for collaboration between people and social networks, in particular, have gained vast popularity and relevance over the past few years. Within this framework, our paper will analyse the role played by social networks in current teaching practices. Specifically, we focus on the principles guiding the design of study activities which use social networks and we relate concrete experiences that show how they contribute to improving teaching and learning within a university environment