“Miss, this is a lot of work”: Exploring Part-Time Students Experiences of Qualitative Research

Qualitative research can be time consuming and intensive as researchers engage in data collection, analysis, and interpretation of rich, detailed, multi-layered, and voluminous data. For Master’s level students struggling to balance full-time work, family, part-time studies, and other obligations, the nature of qualitative research can be overwhelming and discouraging as they learn about and engage in the research process. However, if students’ experiences are rich and meaningful, the time investment can be worthwhile. In this generic qualitative study, Master’s Level Education students’ experiences in an Introduction to Qualitative Research in Education course are explored. Drawing on data from semi-structured one-to-one interviews, as well as students’ written reflections from course assignments, we (i) explore the conceptual and personal challenges that students describe as they learn about and engage with qualitative research; (ii) explore students’ perceptions of class readings, activities, and assignments; and (iii) discover students’ perceptions about how class readings, activities, and assignments shape their experiences in the course. Findings suggest that although these part-time adult learners encounter difficulty in balancing their adult roles and responsibilities with the time consuming nature of the qualitative research process, they still find the course experience valuable due to the practical, experiential activities utilised; the connection of content to their professional and academic lives; and the collaborative experiences with their peers

No. 04: The Urban Food System of Kingston, Jamaica

Kingston is a colonial city and, like the country of Jamaica more generally, was the product of early mercantilism moulded by colonialism, sugar plantations and slavery. As Jamaica’s capital, Kingston is an economic and administrative hub with a social geography marked by many of the characteristic fissures of emerging cities in transition economies. Its population is fed by a combination of food imports and domestic production from agricultural areas across the island. The key trading point for fresh produce flows into Kingston is Coronation Market in the city centre. Between 60% and 70% of fruit and vegetables arriving at Coronation Market are re-distributed through other wholesale markets in and around Kingston. Domestically produced foods flow into Kingston largely through Jamaica’s higgler system. These informal vendors perform many functions as market intermediaries, including trade, harvesting, post-harvest processing, re-distribution and sales. Jamaicans spend an average of 43% of their income on food; a figure significantly influenced by price shocks. Some of these shocks are the result of severe weather conditions, including cyclones with excessive rains as well as drought. While there is a strong preference for domestically produced goods, cheaper prices and perceived safety of imports entice consumers. Jamaica has also moved increasingly towards a higher fat, more refined diet, resulting in higher rates of obesity and nutrition-related chronic diseases

No.09: ENHANCING FOOD SECURITY THROUGH URBAN AGRICULTURE IN KINGSTON, JAMAICA

■ Much focus has been accorded rural agriculture, both in the literature and in practice. Yet urban agriculture is both a viable and necessary area of focus as it pertains to food security in Jamaica. ■ An education and communication strategy is required to ensure that attitudes towards nutrition and poor food choices are changed (within the range of affordability) in efforts to achieve food security. ■ Given the threats posed by climate change, the development of urban agriculture should incorporate not only previously designated sites through zoning for small-scale livestock and produce rearing; it also should incorporate backyard farming/gardening, housetop farming, school gardens and composting, hydroponics, greenhouses, and rainwater harvesting consistent with Jamaica’s Vision 2030. ■ A comprehensive focus on urban agriculture must incorporate all relevant stakeholders including ministries; the National Water Commission; community organizations and faith-based organizations; global entities for resources and expertise; international and national funding agencies; and research institutions

Project-based Learning for Environmental Sustainability Action

The quest for social and economic development coupled with a growing population has led to complex and unsustainable interactions between humans and the natural resources of planet Earth. One approach to addressing complex, ‘wicked’ problems involves closing the gap between the sustainability knowledge of individuals and the competencies for positive environmental behaviours. Projectbased learning is one teaching-learning strategy which provides opportunities for cultivating a wide range of sustainability competencies to close this gap. Two cases are presented in this paper in which project-based learning was used for fostering environmental competencies and advancing sustainability. One relates to teachers in a graduate course, and the other, to students using an online learning platform. Evaluation of various qualitative documents and artefacts produced by participants revealed that i) teachers and students were motivated and enabled to take action on environmental and sustainability issues through project-based learning ii) participants’ environmental knowledge and sustainability competencies such as communication and collaboration skills were enhanced. School administrators should therefore encourage a culture where project-based learning is infused into the curriculum, and teachers’ collaborative efforts regarding projects are supported

No. 15: The State of Household Food Security in Kingston, Jamaica

This report provides an analysis of results from a household food security survey conducted in Kingston, Jamaica, by the Hungry Cities Partnership (HCP). It documents the state of food insecurity in households across selected communities in the Kingston Metropolitan Area. It should be read in conjunction with HCP Report No. 4: The Urban Food System of Kingston, Jamaica (Thomas- Hope et al 2017), which provides more detailed background and context for the results discussed here

Identifying Assessment Opportunities in Postgraduate Learning for Sustainability

This paper offers a rationale for how ESD related learning at postgraduate level can be assessed. It proposes a framework for evaluating whether assessments in Master’s level programmes align with the pedagogical approach of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). If assessment is to contribute to the overall learning process, then the nature of the assessment should reflect the pedagogy, values and principles associated with ESD. Utilising an Appreciative Inquiry model, existing models of competences for sustainable development have been used to develop the framework. The framework is not aimed at the performance of the students; rather, it is applied to the course itself to identify if assessment opportunities are in keeping with an ESD approach. The framework is applied to three examples from Master’s programmes, with which the authors are affiliated in England and Jamaica. The findings identify key characteristics that should feature in assessing learning for sustainability. The framework enabled the authors to gauge the extent to which their assessment regimes are in line with the aims, purpose and content of their programmes. While the examples cited are from the field of education, the framework can be applied to any Master’s programmes containing elements of sustainable development

Assessing Learning at Postgraduate Level in the Context of ESD

This paper presents an assessment framework that can be applied to any postgraduate programme in order to assess learning for sustainable development. To test the utility of this framework the authors’ have used it to audit their own Master’s level programmes, i.e. two complete Masters courses and one module. It is important to stress that this framework does not seek to assess ESD competences. Competences in education are appropriate for educators but not for students of every discipline

Pan-Cancer Analysis of lncRNA Regulation Supports Their Targeting of Cancer Genes in Each Tumor Context

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are commonly dys-regulated in tumors, but only a handful are known toplay pathophysiological roles in cancer. We inferredlncRNAs that dysregulate cancer pathways, onco-genes, and tumor suppressors (cancer genes) bymodeling their effects on the activity of transcriptionfactors, RNA-binding proteins, and microRNAs in5,185 TCGA tumors and 1,019 ENCODE assays.Our predictions included hundreds of candidateonco- and tumor-suppressor lncRNAs (cancerlncRNAs) whose somatic alterations account for thedysregulation of dozens of cancer genes and path-ways in each of 14 tumor contexts. To demonstrateproof of concept, we showed that perturbations tar-geting OIP5-AS1 (an inferred tumor suppressor) andTUG1 and WT1-AS (inferred onco-lncRNAs) dysre-gulated cancer genes and altered proliferation ofbreast and gynecologic cancer cells. Our analysis in-dicates that, although most lncRNAs are dysregu-lated in a tumor-specific manner, some, includingOIP5-AS1, TUG1, NEAT1, MEG3, and TSIX, synergis-tically dysregulate cancer pathways in multiple tumorcontexts