Globe: All Ireland Programme for Immigrant Parents: Final Evaluation Report

In 2007, the Child and Family Research Centre, NUI Galway, was commissioned by the PMC to evaluate Globe: All Ireland Programme for Immigrant Parents. From 2007 - 2009 a number of interim evaluation reports were submitted to the PMC on the development phase of the project and its resources. In 2009, following the extension of the project, the objectives of the evaluation were revised. These objectives, which underpin this final evaluation report, are as follows:Examine and assess the pilot phase;Examine and assess the uptake and use of the Information Packs by parents and practitioners;Examine and assess the partnership working and development on a multi-sectoral and crossborder basis of the PMC, and more generally in meeting the needs of immigrant parents;Examine and assess the mainstreaming of learning and good practice; andExamine and assess the training/awareness raising and support of practitioners in delivering the programme

Chapter 5: Evaluation

The OTiS (Online Teaching in Scotland) programme, run by the now defunct Scotcit programme, ran an International e-Workshop on Developing Online Tutoring Skills which was held between 8–12 May 2000. It was organised by Heriot–Watt University, Edinburgh and The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, UK. Out of this workshop came the seminal Online Tutoring E-Book, a generic primer on e-learning pedagogy and methodology, full of practical implementation guidelines. Although the Scotcit programme ended some years ago, the E-Book has been copied to the SONET site as a series of PDF files, which are now available via the ALT Open Access Repository. The editor, Carol Higgison, is currently working in e-learning at the University of Bradford (see her staff profile) and is the Chair of the Association for Learning Technology (ALT)

Hierarchy and Competition in CSCW applications: Model and case study

CSCW applications need to adapt themselves to the functional and organizational structures of people that use them. However they do not usually support division in groups with a certain hierarchical structure among them. In this paper, we propose and study a theoretical model of groupware appliations that reflects those hierarchical interactions. The proposed model is also intended to evaluate the effects in performance derived from competitive and collaborative relationships among the components of a hierarchy of groups. In order to demonstrate the above ideas, a groupware game, called Alymod, was designed and implemented using a modified version of a well-known CSCW Toolkit, namely Groupkit. Groupkit was modified in order to support group interactions in the same CSCW application. In Alymod, participants compete or collaborate within a hierarchical structure to achieve a common goal (completing gaps in a text, finishing numerical series, resolving University course examinations, etc.).Publicad

A learning design toolkit to create pedagogically effective learning activities

Despite the plethora of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) tools and resources available, practitioners are still not making effective use of e-learning to enrich the student experience. This article describes a learning design toolkit which guides practitioners through the process of creating pedagogically informed learning activities which make effective use of appropriate tools and resources. This work is part of a digital libraries project in which teaching staff at two universities in the UK and two in the USA are collaborating to share e-learning resources in the subject domains of Physical, Environmental and Human Geography. Finding, or creating, suitable e-learning resources and embedding them in well designed learning activities can be both challenging and time consuming. Sharing and adapting effective designs and solutions is both a stimulant and a time saver. This article describes the background to the specification of a learning activities design toolkit to support teachers as they create or adapt e-learning activities. This uses a model of pedagogical approaches as a basis for developing effective learning design plans and illustrates its use. The authors share their definition of a learning activity and taxonomies for the constituent elements. Real examples are discussed to illustrate their approach

Designing Open and Distance Learning for Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: A toolkit for educators and planners

Everyone remembers a good teacher. Good teachers are the key to educational expansion and improvement. In many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, there is an urgent need to expand the number of primary and secondary teachers. In all African countries, there is an equally important need to improve the quality of teaching. To achieve this, it is clear that new approaches to teacher education are essential. Existing institutions of teacher education will continue to play an important role, but, alone, they will not meet the goals of Education for All (EFA) by 2015. It is fortunate that, just as the twin needs to improve the quantity and quality of teachers become imperative, so new forms of education and training are becoming available. The world is witnessing a revolution in information and communication technologies (ICTs), which can offer training and support of a type and at a cost hitherto impossible to consider, and thus, must be fully explored given the scale and urgency of demand. In doing so, however, it will be necessary to build on existing and well-tested strategies, including the best models of open and distance learning. This toolkit is the third in a series of recent publications by the Africa Region Human Development Department of the World Bank to share knowledge and experience on how distance education and ICTs can support education in Sub-Saharan Africa. It emphasizes the rigorous process by which new forms of distance-education programs for teacher education can be planned and implemented. The best models of established programs are considered along with the potential for incorporating, as the means become available, new modes of communication. Most forms of teacher education, particularly those concerned with qualification upgrading and ongoing professional development, will have to be based in schools. The authors demonstrate how school-based programs, appropriately resourced and supported, have the potential not only to raise significantly the number and quality of teachers, but also to improve classroom practice and school organization, generally. The guidance and advice, which is drawn from many years of experience in design and implementation, and embraces a range of case studies from across the region, will be of considerable value to those preparing new policies and programs of teacher education and to those seeking to improve existing programs

An Evaluation of the Prison Radio Association’s Activity Final Report Year 3: The way forward

The PRA developed a strategic three year activity plan (2007- 2009) which has been evaluated annually by the Hallam Centre for Community Justice at Sheffield Hallam University. In 2009, key PRA objectives were to continue to provide prisons with support to set up their own radio projects, to host the Second Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony, to develop a National Prison Radio Service (NPRS) and to develop a sustainable funding strategy and press strategy. The findings of the evaluation of these three activity areas are contained within the main body of this report

Evaluating training and development in UK universities: staff perceptions

Purpose - As part of an HEFCE LGM funded project, this paper analyses individual experiences of learning evaluation in UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and identifies areas for improvement. Design/methodology/approach - Eight focus groups were carried out in two Universities with staff in similar roles. After transcription, the data was analysed using template analysis to identify and compare key themes from across both universities. Findings - The context of UK HE is clearly important, due to the diverse job roles and on-going sectoral changes. Three key themes emerged; firstly a lack of clarity from the learners on learning evaluation. The second key theme centres on the format, method and timing of capturing evaluation data and the perception that a ‘one size fits all’ approach is not appropriate. The third finding suggests that line managers do not currently fulfil their critical roles in the process. Research limitations/implications - Small number of research participants and a focus on two Universities. In addition, participants were relying on their memories of past evaluation experiences. Practical implications - Ensuring learners understand reasons for evaluating their learning is important. HEIs should utilise a more diverse range of tools at the design stage to collect evaluation data. All stakeholder roles need to be clarified, and line managers require additional support. Originality/value - Firstly we address a gap in the existing sector-specific literature identified by Burgoyne et al (2009) who contend that there is a lack of research in this area. Secondly we contribute to the development of research in the journal by analysing evaluation from the perspective of the participants and thirdly we offer recommendations for practice