Quantifying Social Capital At School

From introduction: Because schools operate in such complex environments the effects of various forms of social capital on outcomes is difficult to delineate without careful and detailed analysis. Therefore the challenge to be faced when addressing the quantification of Social Capital at school is considerable. This has led some to argue that qualitative research is necessary to achieve an understanding of the complex networks that operate in and about schools (e.g. Horvath et al). Whilst not disputing the value of such research, social capital has attracted interest from policy makers at least in part because various analysts have quantified social capital and have reported correlations between social capital and other desirable outcomes

Towards Information Literacy Indicators. Conceptual Framework prepared by Ralph Catts and Jesus Lau

Este documento proporciona un marco conceptual básico para la medición de la Alfin y ha sido diseñado para servir de referencia con objeto de facilitar la elaboración de indicadores de alfabetización informacional.Elaborado por Ralph Catts y Jesús LauRevisión técnica por Cristóbal Pasadas Ureña (Universidad de Granada, Biblioteca de la Facultad de Psicología). La presente edición ha sido publicada por el Ministerio de Cultura español en colaboración con UNESCO

Towards information literacy indicators

From summary: This paper provides a conceptual framework for the identification of indicators of information literacy (IL) and proposes a pathway for cost effective and timely development. The paper includes a definition of IL; a model that links information literacy with other adult competencies including Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills; and a description of IL standards in education. Issues of IL equality and the implications of cultural diversity are identified

Indicators of adult information literacy

Information literacy (IL), defined as the capacity to locate, evaluate and use information to create new knowledge, is a core adult life skill and an extension of the notion of functional literacy. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has identified information literacy as an essential capacity for participation in the knowledge economy and has included this construct as a strategic priority in the Information for All Programme (IFAP).To support this initiative UNESCO has commissioned research to consider whether a household survey could be used to identify the extent to which people in member states are information literate in all aspects of their life, including work and lifelong learning, and in relation to their personal well-being, and in their participation in civil society. United Nations agencies use surveys to provide indications of the extent to which various agreed objectives are being achieved. These include international surveys of education and of health and well-being.This paper reports on an investigation aimed at determining whether indicators of IL could be identified by secondary analysis of existing data collected in other household surveys.It was concluded that IL has unique elements that are not encompassed in the surveys that were examined

Employability and social capital : an exploration of the missing link in the enhancement of employability of business school graduates

This study explores the role of social capital in the development of employability skills and attributes of first generation undergraduate students in a business school. The research, based on the reflections of graduates, examines the impact of social capital on participation in higher education and investigates the conditions within the learning environment which enhance or inhibit the development of bridging and linking social capital, as students connect with networks within the institution and with the wider business community. The findings suggest that the ability to recognise and activate bridging and linking social capital is an important determinant of employability. The analysis illustrates that when students have opportunities to connect with and work within a variety of networks, they build a range of employability skills and capabilities, particularly the interpersonal and social skills valued by employers. Students, who are confident and have the necessary skills to participate in a variety of networks within the immediate environment and with the wider business community, are not only able to access a greater range of resources but are more able to recognise the potential benefits that these activities have to offer. The reflections of the participants also illustrate that the skills and competencies which enable them to network effectively need to be developed deliberately. By supporting students in recognising the relationship between bridging and linking social capital and employability, and giving them the opportunity to reflect upon the achievement of interpersonal skills and affective capabilities, including the importance of relating to diverse others, their understanding and acknowledgement of employability will be enhanced. The study also reflects on Quinn’s concept of imagined social capital and considers its impact on the development of employability. Building on her work, the analysis identifies two new typologies; unimagined and unimaginable social capital. Both categories are important in understanding how students acknowledge the potential networks and resources available to them.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Quality assurance in Aboriginal early childhood education: a participatory action research study

This research explores the implementation of an external quality assurance process with the people of Kulai Aboriginal Preschool. A participatory action research approach was used to examine the process. The impact of this quality assurance process on learning and change in the workplace was the focus of the study. Putting Children First: Quality Improvement and Accreditation System (NCAC 1993) was the initial impetus for organisational change at the preschool, however establishing trust and engaged relationships emerged as critical to meaning making and to changing workplace practices. Metaphors aided communication by bridging cultural boundaries and enacting transformations in thinking. Metaphor and quality assurance were seen as fluid terms, generating energy by moving between possible understandings. Meaning making comes about as a consequence of this movement. Data was collected through participant observations and interviews. This information was recorded using written and visual narrative forms. Maps enabled a macro and micro-analysis of participation in meaning making and organisational change in the context of this Aboriginal early childhood centre. This analysis brought alive the space-in-between, also known as the third space or m-i-n-d field where meaning making was found to occur. Maps enabled the visualisation of meaning making to occur as a consequence of shared action. Analysis of these maps illuminated the complexity of participation in the quality assurance process

Social capital, social inclusion and changing school contexts: a Scottish perspective

This paper synthesises a collaborative review of social capital theory, with particular regard for its relevance to the changing educational landscape within Scotland. The review considers the common and distinctive elements of social capital, developed by the founding fathers – Putnam, Bourdieu and Coleman – and explores how these might help to understand the changing contexts and pursue opportunities for growth

Dissecting the Shared Genetic Architecture of Suicide Attempt, Psychiatric Disorders, and Known Risk Factors

Background Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide, and nonfatal suicide attempts, which occur far more frequently, are a major source of disability and social and economic burden. Both have substantial genetic etiology, which is partially shared and partially distinct from that of related psychiatric disorders. Methods We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 29,782 suicide attempt (SA) cases and 519,961 controls in the International Suicide Genetics Consortium (ISGC). The GWAS of SA was conditioned on psychiatric disorders using GWAS summary statistics via multitrait-based conditional and joint analysis, to remove genetic effects on SA mediated by psychiatric disorders. We investigated the shared and divergent genetic architectures of SA, psychiatric disorders, and other known risk factors. Results Two loci reached genome-wide significance for SA: the major histocompatibility complex and an intergenic locus on chromosome 7, the latter of which remained associated with SA after conditioning on psychiatric disorders and replicated in an independent cohort from the Million Veteran Program. This locus has been implicated in risk-taking behavior, smoking, and insomnia. SA showed strong genetic correlation with psychiatric disorders, particularly major depression, and also with smoking, pain, risk-taking behavior, sleep disturbances, lower educational attainment, reproductive traits, lower socioeconomic status, and poorer general health. After conditioning on psychiatric disorders, the genetic correlations between SA and psychiatric disorders decreased, whereas those with nonpsychiatric traits remained largely unchanged. Conclusions Our results identify a risk locus that contributes more strongly to SA than other phenotypes and suggest a shared underlying biology between SA and known risk factors that is not mediated by psychiatric disorders.Peer reviewe

Genomic Dissection of Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia, Including 28 Subphenotypes

publisher: Elsevier articletitle: Genomic Dissection of Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia, Including 28 Subphenotypes journaltitle: Cell articlelink: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2018.05.046 content_type: article copyright: © 2018 Elsevier Inc

Teaching and learning in higher education in regard to information literacy and diversity

The paper will source evidence about the skills that contribute to retention and success in undergraduate higher education: and the capacity to assess and remediate skill sets when learners commence HE with reference to the strategies that apply to information literacy. The paper will outline the situated nature of professional capacities and the inter-dependence of adult competencies