Adult reading teachers’ beliefs about how less-skilled adult readers can be taught to read.

Despite large-scale interventions, significant numbers of adults worldwide continue to have problems with basic literacy, in particular in the area of reading. To be effective, adult reading teachers need expert knowledge at practitioner level. However, practices in adult reading education vary widely, often reflecting the individual beliefs of each teacher about how an adult can learn to read. In this study, phenomenographic analysis was used to identify categories of approaches to teaching adult reading, used by a group of 60 teachers in Western Australia and New Zealand. Four approaches were identified: reassurance, task-based, theory-based and responsive. It is argued that for teachers to become effective and consistent in responding to learner needs, they must understand their own beliefs and the consequences of these. The identification of different approaches in adult reading education is an important step in this process

Alternative Approaches to Assessing Student Engagement Rates

The terms school or task engagement are often used to refer to such affective responses. While several lines of inquiry have now converged on the conclusion that these factors play a key role in student learning, findings vary considerably due to differences in definitions and approaches to assessing student engagement levels. The purposes of this overview are to (i) outline some key dimensions of student engagement based on an integrated review of relevant literature, and (ii) describe the various methods that have been used to assess engagement levels in empirical research studies. Specifically, the primary goal was to review approaches to assessing student engagement levels on a classwide basis, and to provide educators with a range of options for developing relevant assessment protocols within their own contexts. Accessed 124,843 times on https://pareonline.net from May 27, 2003 to December 31, 2019. For downloads from January 1, 2020 forward, please click on the PlumX Metrics link to the right

Diversity, not Division

This paper will contain observations about the library field, the wider societal barriers that are impacting the potential staff we could employ. It will also be talking a bit about TU Dublin and what we hope to do and become, and will finish with looking towards the future of third level education. The aim of the paper is for readers to be able to partake in an open dialogue about disability, and wider social struggles. Through enabling this it will help to increase action on equity, and reduce staff\u27s fear of acting

Non-technical skill gaps in Australian business graduates

Purpose – The need for “job-ready” graduates has catalysed the development of non-technical skills in higher education institutions worldwide. Continued criticism of business school outcomes has provoked this examination of non-technical skill deficiencies in Australian business graduates. The purpose of this paper is to compare findings with existing literature on skill gaps in other developed, culturally-similar economies, underscore the generality of identified problems, and highlight to stakeholders in undergraduate education those areas requiring curricula review. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 211 managers/supervisors of business graduates and 156 business academics assessed the typical performance levels of Australian business graduates against a comprehensive framework of 20 skills and 45 associated workplace behaviours. Ratings were examined within and across the two samples and variations analysed by work area, business activity and business discipline. Findings – Some differences were detected between academic and employer skill ratings of certain workplace behaviours. Respondents agreed that although graduates are confident and proficient in certain non-technical skills, they are deficient in vital elements of the managerial skill set. There were differences in employer ratings across certain business activities and work areas but none detected in academic ratings from different business disciplines. Originality/value – Findings broadly align with literature from previous studies, highlighting the generality of presented skill deficiencies. The study suggests that although business schools are producing well-rounded graduates, they are overlooking the development of certain non-technical skills deemed essential in managers. This urges curricula reform and raises questions on who is responsible for developing work readiness in graduates. The implications of differing perceptions of graduate performance are discussed

Nothing About Us Without Us: the Benefits of Hiring Staff with a Disability in Libraries.

There is a common saying amongst the disability communities in many countries, and that is “Nothing about us without us”. This term is usually used to refer to the making of laws and operation of services without prior consultation with the disability community, including library services. Employing disabled people as staff ties into some of the core philosophies of libraries: improving access, diversity, democracy, open education, lifelong learning, and social responsibility. Disabled staff members have the benefit (for us!) of having faced accessibility issues of varying kinds in their own lives. They are often able to use this experience to point out flaws in library systems, services, and buildings. They notice things about each of these that ‘able bodied’ staff often miss. They also come with the advantage of having better understanding of many disabilities, not just their own, as well as having established contacts within the disability community. Employing staff members with a disability in Technological University Dublin Library Services has allowed us access to a wealth of knowledge that often goes untapped. It is enabling us to design successful, inclusive library services, activities and spaces. The only way to guarantee that success is to engage with the knowledge of the community, rather than designing for what we feel they need. Representation itself is also a way to improve engagement, social standing and visibility for both ourselves and potential disabled staff or users. Visibility of disability is one of the key ways of changing attitudes towards disabled people, and employing disabled staff is a known way of improving public perceptions of a business or public service. Hiring disabled staff is mutually beneficial for the library and the staff member. Topics: Library design for all Inclusive digital library services Developing Library services and space for all Outreach activities in Libraries Research or studies exploring inclusiveness in Libraries Open Access, Open Science, Open Research and Open Data The role of Libraries in societ

Cuando los Negros Luchaban (the Black Struggle): 1965 U.S. invasion of the Dominican Republic [abstract]

Abstract only availableOn April 22, 1965, in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic, left winged military men launched a coup against the U.S. backed president in order to restore the presidency of Juan Bosch, a proclaimed populist whom the United States had helped oust from power only months before. The backlash of the April coup involved the invasion of 14,000 U.S. troops into the Dominican Republic. In the eyes of the U.S. Department of State, the Dominican Republic, whose population contains ninety percent of individuals of African heritage, would not become another Cuba. In the United States, the stage of 1965 is set with contentious involvement in the Vietnam war, a large-scale civil rights movement steadily rolling along and gaining momentum and headed by African Americans, and a host of fearful and zealous Latin American foreign policies. Observing this scene, this paper raises the questions: How did black Americans respond to the United States' use of force towards their presumed “brothers” to the south? Did ideology override race in the international relations between blacks of the African Diaspora? Are the bonds of the African Diaspora as strong as intellectuals have historically suggested and advocated? Or are these bonds products of myth and merely tools for empowerment? Are they simply broken and in need of repair? Are there valid arguments for unity between members of the African Diaspora? In response to these inquiries, the paper places obstacles before the perpetuators of modern-day “racial” classifications, cultural perspectives, and political assumptions, in preparation to renew the discourse surrounding blacks of the world

Engineers’ perceptions of the importance of empathy and care: initial insights from engineers practicing in Australia

Empathy and care influence aspects of engineering practice including collaboration and teamwork, stakeholder engagement, and quality of work. Empathy has been identified as a key employability skill for professionals, and is the foundation for many skills and attributes anticipated as required by future engineers. Therefore, the understanding of empathy and care, and consideration of the development of empathetic and caring competencies are increasingly relevant for engineering education. Recent studies have explored the conceptualisation of and value placed on empathy and care in engineering practice, from the perspectives of practicing engineers in US and German contexts. We broaden this to include the Australian setting. Engineers’ perceptions of empathy and care within Australian engineering practice were collected using an online version of the Empathy and Care Questionnaire (ECQ) instrument developed by Hess, Strobel, Pan and Wachter Morris (N = 183). Statistical analysis of survey questions relating to the perceived importance and benefits of empathy and care to engineers, and relevance within a range of engineering practice situations was undertaken. Analysis of gender, years of experience, and organisational role indicated that female engineers perceived empathy and care to be more important, and more impactful on engineering practice than male engineers. Perceptions of empathy and care did not vary with duration of engineering work experience, however engineers in positions of organisational leadership placed greater importance on empathy and care in their roles than others. These differences contrast with results of the US and German studies. Further analysis is required to understand where, when and why these differences occur

Biomedical Ph.D. Students Enrolled in Two Elite Universities in the United Kingdom and the United States Report Adopting Multiple Learning Relationships

Objective: The ability to form multiple learning relationships is a key element of the doctoral learning environment in the biomedical sciences. Of these relationships, that between student and supervisor has long been viewed as key. There are, however, limited data to describe the student perspective on what makes this relationship valuable. In the present study, we discuss the findings of semi-structured interviews with biomedical Ph.D. students from the United Kingdom and the United States to: i) determine if the learning relationships identified in an Australian biomedical Ph.D. cohort are also important in a larger international student cohort; and ii) improve our understanding of student perceptions of value in their supervisory relationships. Study Design 32 students from two research intensive universities, one in the United Kingdom (n = 17), and one in the United States (n = 15) were recruited to participate in a semi-structured interview. Verbatim transcripts were transcribed, validated and analysed using a Miles and Huberman method for thematic analysis. Results: Students reported that relationships with other Ph.D. students, post-doctoral scientists and supervisors were all essential to their learning. Effective supervisory relationships were perceived as the primary source of high-level project guidance, intellectual support and confidence. Relationships with fellow students were viewed as essential for the provision of empathetic emotional support. Technical learning was facilitated, almost exclusively, by relationships with postdoctoral staff. Conclusions: These data make two important contributions to the scholarship of doctoral education in the biomedical sciences. Firstly, they provide further evidence for the importance of multiple learning relationships in the biomedical doctorate. Secondly, they clarify the form of a ‘valued’ supervisory relationship from a student perspective. We conclude that biomedical doctoral programs should be designed to contain a minimum level of formalised structure to promote the development of multiple learning relationships that are perceived as key to student learning