Overlapping memory replay during sleep builds cognitive schemata

Sleep enhances integration across multiple stimuli, abstraction of general rules, insight into hidden solutions and false memory formation. Newly learned information is better assimilated if compatible with an existing cognitive framework or schema. This article proposes a mechanism by which the reactivation of newly learned memories during sleep could actively underpin both schema formation and the addition of new knowledge to existing schemata. Under this model, the overlapping replay of related memories selectively strengthens shared elements. Repeated reactivation of memories in different combinations progressively builds schematic representations of the relationships between stimuli. We argue that this selective strengthening forms the basis of cognitive abstraction, and explain how it facilitates insight and false memory formation

Guides for measuring the impact of educational programmes

The series covers a number of aspects of good practice in relation to evaluating and measuring the impact of educational programmes. 1 - Getting started guide 2 - Data collection guide 3 - Drawing conclusions guide 4 - Sample size & control groups guide 5 - Statistics and presentation guide 6 - Qualitative data and surveys guide 7 - Strategy guid

The impact of extended services in Kent

In 2011 The Learning Plus team of Kent County Council, approached Canterbury Christ Church University and requested they undertake an evaluation of the impact of extended services. Learning Plus approached five providers of extended services who would be willing to provide data for this evaluation. These were selected under three criteria. They were geographically spread through the county and included different school types: special schools, primary and secondary and one was organised as a cluster. Data was collected in three forms. A desk based review was undertaken of previously published studies of the impact of extended services. This was combined with a review of the QES self-evaluation and evidence supplied by each of the participating providers for the achievement of this quality mark. From this, areas of focus for primary data collection were established. These areas were: Attainment and Attendance, Motivation and Self-esteem and Family and Community. To gather further information in relation to these themes, a series of semi-structured interviews were arranged with representatives of the schools. During these meetings the researchers also discussed and collected any examples of quantitative data that demonstrated the potential impact of extended services. In relation to attainment and attendance, Aylesham Primary School (part of the DES, Dover Extended Services consortium) provided evidence of greater improvement than would have been predicted without extended schools interventions. Christ Church CEP School provided evidence of greater gains than peers. Whilst a primary school in West Kent were able to demonstrate positive impact on the behaviour of a targeted group of siblings after an intervention. In relation to motivation and self-esteem, members of the DES cluster used the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to show a change in a child’s self-rating before and after a transitions project. Maplesden Noakes School reported improvement in teacher’s assessment of various aspects of their children’s skills and attitudes, including attitude to learning. These quantitative measures were all supported by qualitative comments from staff. These indicated that in their view extended services, if not the actual factor, had certainly contributed a great deal to the positive impacts observed. Impacts on families and communities are, by their nature, harder to quantify, however senior leaders from Milestone School, Christ Church CEP School and Dover Grammar School (part of DES) for example, all felt involvement in extended services had helped improve their family and community relations and improved their image more widely. Indeed, this was typical across the schools within the sample. Many schools provided specific classes and support for parents, community groups and local businesses, thus having an additional social and economic impact. Furthermore, some schools reported additional benefits. For example, they obtained a return on investment through the use of their facilities

Ovarian preservation techniques for female pelvic radiotherapy techniques: a critical review

AbstractIntroductionAdvances in treatment over recent years have increased the long-term survival of young, female cancer patients; unfortunately these treatments bring a significant risk of ovarian failure and infertility. This literature review aimed to determine the optimal technique for ovarian preservation in pre-menopausal women receiving pelvic radiotherapy (IMRT). The traditional method comprises surgical transposition; IMRT and other emerging techniques may offer alternative non-invasive means of sparing ovaries and minimising dose.MethodsA critical review of the evidence pertaining to pelvic radiotherapy and ovarian sparing was performed. Evidence was subjected to critical appraisal using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool and thematic analysis of the findings identified key issues.ResultsSurgical transposition appears to be a successful method of preserving ovarian function depending on the position of the ovaries outside of the radiation field, the age of the patient and the total dose received by the ovaries. There is limited modern evidence concerning its usage in relation to emerging techniques and technology. The use of IMRT is certainly widespread in the treatment of female pelvic cancers, however, there is no evidence supporting its use for reduction of ovarian dose. Several other studies have attempted to demonstrate new techniques to preserve ovarian function, but no functional outcome measures have reinforced their results.ConclusionsOvarian transposition has a proven track record for preservation of ovarian function, but the potential value of IMRT as a viable alternative to date remains unexplored. New work should be encouraged to determine the potential value of IMRT as a non-surgical alternative.</jats:sec

Appropriateness as an aspect of lexical richness: what do quantitative measures tell us about children's writing?

This is the final version. Available on open access from Elsevier via the DOI in this recordQuantitative measures of vocabulary use have added much to our understanding of first and second language writing development. This paper argues for measures of register appropriateness as a useful addition to these tools. Developing an idea proposed by Author (2019), it explores what such measures can tell us about vocabulary development in the L1 writing of school children in England and critically examines how results should be interpreted. It shows that significant patterns of discipline- and genre-specific vocabulary development can be identified for measures related to four distinct registers, though the strongest patterns are found for vocabulary associated with fiction and academic writing. Follow-up analyses showed that changes across year groups were primarily driven, not by the nature of individual words, but by the overall quantitative distribution of register-specific vocabulary, suggesting that the traditional distinction between measures of lexical diversity and lexical sophistication may not be helpful for understanding development in this context. Closer analysis of academic vocabulary showed development of distinct vocabularies in Science and English writing in response to sharply differing communicative needs in those disciplines, suggesting that development in children’s academic vocabulary should not be seen as a single coherent process.Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC

Schools and their communities: pupil and teacher perceptions of community action

In England over the last two decades, there has been a growing interest in the role of English schools in developing, facilitating and supporting young people’s community participation. A number of policy initiatives have sought to build the capacity and opportunities for youth participation. Research suggests, however, that pupils and schools are often prohibited by significant barriers from becoming involved with community activities, particularly those which might occur beyond the school environment itself. In March 2010 the UK Labour government launched a Youth Community Action initiative for England, piloted across five local authorities, which aimed to involve young people of 14-16 years-of-age in community action. Following the UK general election in May 2010, the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government terminated these pilots but was quick to announce the launch and piloting of a National Citizen Service for 16-19 year olds in England. Purpose Drawing on research conducted with participants in one Youth Community Action pilot project, the aim of this study was to explore the perceptions and understandings of young people regarding their involvement in community action activities and how this compared to the perceptions and understandings of the teachers responsible for co-ordinating such activities. Sample In the final synthesis, the sample comprised 614 pupil questionnaires, representing a response rate of 24 percent of the pupils in the 9 participating schools. 11 semi-structured interviews and one focus group interview were conducted with pupils in 6 of the schools, with a further 8 semi-structured interviews conducted with teachers in these 6 schools. Design and methods A questionnaire was administered to pupils participating in the Youth Community Action pilot, enabling an exploration of self-reported behavioural attitudes and perceptions. The data collected was analysed thematically, with an identification of common themes in responses. In addition, factor analysis and a series of Chi² tests of association were carried out. The use of semi-structured interviews, the data from which were analysed thematically, enabled a qualitative exploration of pupils’ and teachers’ self-reported perceptions of community action activities. Results The findings of our questionnaires report that those pupils who know more about their local neighbourhood and community are likely to report greater levels of concern for what happens within it. This suggests that pupils’ learning about their neighbourhoods and community is likely to be beneficial toward developing affective attachments to them. For the pupils in our data-set, simply possessing pro-social behaviours and attitudes was not a sufficient or necessary condition for their community awareness and involvement. It suggests that, at least for a notable number of pupils, active engagement in the community requires cultivation and learning beyond pro-social behaviours. The semi-structured interviews report that pupils identify the school as the key source of information about community engagement opportunities, but also indicate that there is a marked difference in the activities which teachers identify their pupils as having undertaken, and the ability of pupils to vocalise these themselves. A further notable finding was a focus on the practical (time, distance, age-constraints) and social (peer-pressure) barriers to community action activities to the exclusion of specifically educational (lack of understanding and skills) barriers. Conclusions Results from this study suggest that schools represent an important source for pupils’ community involvement, but that in our sample pupils often lack the vocabulary with which to explain the extent and nature of such engagement. Pupils and teachers identify a range of barriers to and benefits of community involvement, but these do not include a lack of understanding or skills. The research raises important questions in the context of recent policy trends in England

What are the educational needs and experiences of asylum-seeking and refugee children, including those who are unaccompanied, with a particular focus on inclusion? - A literature review

In a context of mass displacement and flows of asylum-seeking and refugee peoples across national borders, the need to respond and attend to the education of asylum-seeking and refugee children is urgent and pressing, though it is not without its challenges. This literature review focuses on the educational experiences of asylum seeking and refugee children, including those who are unaccompanied, with a particular focus on inclusion. It seeks to respond to the following three interconnected questions: 1. What does current educational literature tell us about the educational needs and experiences of asylumseeking and refugee children as they relate to inclusion? 2. What does current educational literature tell us about the educational needs and experiences of unaccompanied asylum-seeking and refugee children as they relate to inclusion? 3. What implications and recommendations can be drawn from existing literature? The review has a particular interest in the needs and experiences of unaccompanied asylum-seeking and refugee children, but recognises that though there is a developing literature specifically on unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee children (see, for example, Stanley, 2001; Derluyn and Broekaert, 2008; Pastoor, 2015) such needs must be understood and positioned in relation to the wider educational needs and experiences of asylum seeking and refugee children more generally. While other literature reviews on asylum-seeking and refugee children are available (see, for example, Hek, 2005; McBrien, 2005), the present review adds to existing work by: • including an explicit focus on the educational needs and experiences of asylum-seeking and refugee children who are unaccompanied; • providing an up-to-date review of literature which analyses and reports the educational needs and experiences of asylum-seeking and refugee children. The review focuses in particular on post-migration experiences within school settings as they relate to asylum seeking and refugee children’s social inclusion

Local Authority Development Collaboratives 2008-09 report

As part of the Study Support (SS) Quality Development Programme (QDP) the DCSF provided via Quality in Study Support (QiSS) a grant to develop collaboratives to support Local Authorities (LAs) working together to measure the impact of study support provision within and across regions. Each region was asked to invite Local Authorities (LAs) to commit time to specific projects alongside colleagues within the two themes under the umbrella of QA and impact measurement. Each group would then submit an action plan and budget which would be approved centrally before funding was approved. As a condition of the grant each participating LA initially was asked to carry out a Study Support self-review based on the criteria developed as part of the national framework for Study Support to demonstrate how the proposed collaborative project addressed developmental needs identified in the self-review. Each participating LA was asked to describe how the impact of the activity was evaluated and outcomes disseminated. In addition they were required to indicate how their ‘Development Collaborative’ (DC) has address staff or organisational or service development or delivery issues. 49 LAs participated in DCs during the year 2008-09 .13 DCs were planned but two withdrew and have not been reported upon compared to 19 undertaken in 2007-08). A number of notable outcomes resulted, ranging from increased involvement of young people as advocated and mentors through to holding a conference aimed at commissioners of services and LA Advisors to highlight the importance of engaging in study support activities

Inclusive educational provision for newly-arrived unaccompanied asylum-seeking and refugee children: a study in a single school in Kent

Recent migration flows – including those resulting from conflict, persecution and natural disaster – place a responsibility on nations to honour international and humanitarian commitments with respect to refugees. A central part of these commitments is to make provision for the educational needs of asylum-seeking and refugee children, including those whom are unaccompanied. Indeed, education and schooling play a crucial role in the complex relationship between newly-arrived immigrants and their new host communities. In the UK and elsewhere a body of research evidence has developed regarding the post-migration educational needs and experiences of asylum-seeking and refugee children. As we have reported elsewhere (Peterson et al., 2016), such research points to a range of approaches, relationships and practices through which asylum-seeking and refugee children are, and indeed at times are not, included within their new communities, including the school community. The study reported here was conducted in a national and local context of increased recognition (both positive and negative) of the humanitarian plight and presence of asylum-seeking and refugee people and children, including children whom are unaccompanied. The study focused on the approach of a single 11-18 school –Hartsdown Academy – situated in Margate, Kent. Working with Virtual School Kent, the school has developed its existing educational provision to include newly-arrived unaccompanied asylum-seeking and refugee children. The present study is concerned particularly with the perceived and actual social and cultural outcomes and benefits (including any notable challenges and barriers) of the school’s approach to including newly-arrived unaccompanied asylum-seeking and refugee children