When worlds collide - examining the challenges faced by teacher education programmes combining professional vocational competence with academic study, lessons from further education to higher education

This paper examines the challenges faced by higher education institutions in designing, teaching and quality assuring programmes of study which, of necessity, must combine the gaining of professional vocational competence with academic study. The paper gives recognition to the policy framework in which these programmes fit – with particular reference to teacher education. It presents the challenges at each stage, from ensuring that curriculum design meets the needs of the profession, to the quality assurance mechanisms which ensure standards and compliance. Initially the paper draws on published research to examine how and why these policy decisions have been taken in much of the developed world. The paper goes on to present a new perspective, however, by comparing current teacher education mechanisms with those that have developed in the past twenty years in further education, looking at the parallels and addressing how far we can learn from the experiences of further education colleagues to ensure that we manage to combine the two different worlds of academia and vocational training without compromising either. It suggests ways in which higher education institutions can learn from further education to tackle the challenges to ensure that concentration on training students to be good teachers is done without compromising personal growth and intellectual development, and examines how far it is possible to meet the demands of higher education quality controls which are applied with differential emphases

Examining barriers to internationalisation created by diverse systems and structures in vocational education and training

In a global society, all educational sectors need to recognise internationalism as a core, foundational principle. Whilst most educational sectors are taking up that challenge, vocational education and training (VET) is still being pulled towards the national agenda in terms of its structures and systems, and the policies driving it, disadvantaging those who graduate from VET, those who teach in it, and the businesses and countries that connect with it. This paper poses questions about the future of internationalisation in the sector. It examines whether there is a way to create a VET system that meets its primary point of value, to produce skilled workers for the local labour market, while still benefitting those graduates by providing international skills and knowledge, gained from VET institutions that are international in their outlook. The paper examines some of the key barriers created by systems and structures in VET to internationalisation and suggests that the efforts which have been made to address the problem have had limited success. It suggests that only a model which gives freedom to those with a direct vested interest, students, teachers, trainers and employers, to pursue international co-operation and liaison will have the opportunity to succeed

Development of a Food Safety Training for a Prison Farm: Challenges and Solutions

Workers on prison farms in the United States commonly grow produce and row crops and raise livestock. Teaching good agricultural practices to prisoners and prison staff increases the safety of the food produced and reduces the likelihood of an illness outbreak. We developed a food safety curriculum for use on prison farms in Iowa. In developing the curriculum, we encountered many challenges that resulted in modifications in the content and delivery method. We present the content of the curriculum and provide educators with a better understanding of challenges and potential solutions related to working with prison farms

Intraosseous vascular access in critically ill adults-a review of the literature

Aim & objectives. This literature review aim is to present a detailed investigation critiquing contemporary practices of intraosseous vascular access in adult patients. Specific objectives identified led to the exploration of clinical contexts, IO device/s and anatomical sites; education and training requirements; implications and recommendations for emergency healthcare practice and any requirements for further research. Background. The intraosseous route is an established method of obtaining vascular access in children in acute and emergency situations and is now increasingly being used in adults as an alternative to intravenous access, yet a paucity of evidence exists regarding its use, effectiveness and implementation. Search strategies. An exploratory literature review was undertaken in acknowledgement of the broad and complex nature of the project aim. Five electronic search engines were examined iteratively from June 2013 to February 2014. The search terms were ‘intraosseous’ AND ‘adult’ which were purposely limited due to the exploratory nature of the review. Studies that met the inclusion criteria of primary research articles with adult focus, paediatric lead research were excluded. Primary research international also included. Secondary research, reviews, case reports, editorials and opinion papers were excluded. Conclusion. Intraosseous vascular access is considered an alternative vascular access route although debate considering the preferred anatomical site is ongoing. Documented practices are only established in pre-hospital and specialist Emergency Department settings, however variety exists in policy and actual practice. Achieving insertion competence is relatively uncomplicated following minimal preparation although ongoing skill maintenance is less clear. Intraosseous vascular access is associated with minimal complications although pain is a significant issue for the conscious patient especially during fluid administration. Relevance to clinical practice. The intraosseous route is clearly a valuable alternative to problematic intravascular access. However further research, including cost effectiveness reviews, is required to gain clarity of whole acute care approaches

Cover Cropping and Strip Tillage to Improve Crop Performance and Food Safety in Muskmelon Production

There is a growing interest among growers to utilize production techniques that reduce soil erosion, minimize nutrient leaching, suppress weed emergence, and build soil quality and organic matter. Cover crops are now being widely used by both conventional and organic growers to accomplish these tasks and also to maintain high soil fertility. Cover crops have a profound impact on soil quality by adding to the soil organic matter pool, enhancing soil structure and fertility, improving soil water holding capacity, reducing the loss of nutrients and sediments in surface run-off, and suppressing weed populations. Additional benefits from cover crops include reduction of insect and disease spread, enhanced microbiological attack of soil pathogens, increase in soil microbial biomass, and biological activity

Clickers and HACCP: Educating a Diverse Food Industry Audience with Technology

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) is a systematic approach to food safety education for the food industry. To receive a HACCP certificate, participants must receive an 80% or higher on the final examination. Language barriers, educational levels, and age have been noted as primary reasoning\u27s for not passing the final examination. Clicker technology has been shown to improve knowledge transfer to students in various classroom settings. Incorporation of mock final examination questions using Clickers into a traditional HACCP course has been shown in a small pilot study to increase the pass rate

Sealing The Cracks of The Educational Pipeline: Counterstories That Reveal Cultural Resiliency and Collective Responsibility in Latinas’ K-16 Success

The purpose of this qualitative research is to discover and describe the successes and institutional barriers along the educational pipeline for Latinas who are the first in their families to have successfully completed their undergraduate degrees. This research explores the unique elements of gender such as gender role socialization and stereotyping under the context of student retention and successful completion of a baccalaureate degree. This research includes nine counterstories of Latinas who were the first in their families to have successfully completed their undergraduate degrees. The results of this study find that throughout childhood, many participants\u27 parents taught their children how to overcome race and socioeconomic barriers through their verbal encouragement, parents\u27 stories of struggles, role modeling of a strong work ethic, parents\u27 value of education, and parents motivating their children to have a more comfortable and financially stable life. Cultural resiliency gave participants the impetus to strive for success in education and also inspired a sense of collective responsibility to transcend obstacles they faced throughout the educational pipeline

Development of an online food safety training for employees of university farms and school gardens

With a rise in the number of publicly accessed fruit and vegetable growing venues, there is a need for food safety training for staff of these schools and research facilities. This project created a variety of media options to educate workers about proper ways to handle fruit and vegetables to ensure food safety

Extending the Holding Time for Agricultural Water Testing EPA Method 1603 for Produce Growers

Agricultural water is a known vector for the transfer of foodborne pathogens onto fresh produce. Development of pre-harvest and post-harvest microbial profiles of agricultural water used by fresh produce growers, processors, and holdings is a requirement under the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule. One of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) approved agricultural water testing methods is US EPA Method 1603, which requires no greater than a 6-h time frame between the collection of the water sample and initiation of analysis. This 6-h timeframe is unrealistic for many produce growers due to there being few laboratories certified to conduct testing and the geographic location of the farms. Agricultural water samples (n = 101) from well water and surface water were collected from 60 different farms to determine if holding samples for 24 h yielded significantly more generic Escherichia coli (E.coli) than 6 h using EPA 1603 method. A total of 32 samples were found contaminated with generic E. coli. Of these positive samples, surface water accounted for 87.5% of the samples (n = 28). There was no significant disparity between populations of generic E. coli at 6- and 24-h sample-test time interval (p \u3e 0.05). These results provide evidence that the sample-test time interval can be extended to 24-h time, which makes quantitative generic E. coli testing for agricultural water as mandated by the FSMA Produce Safety Rule more accessible to growers

Systematic Approach to Food Safety Education on the Farm

Food safety education from farm to end user is essential in the mitigation of food safety concerns associated with fresh produce. Iowa State University developed a multi-disciplinary three-level sequential program ( Know, Show, Go ) to provide a holistic approach to food safety education. This program provides knowledge on GAP (Know); guides development and documentation of food safety practices (Show); and aids in grower\u27s readiness for third party auditing (Go). Evaluations suggest this program is effective in changing long term food safety knowledge, attitude, and behaviors. The multi-disciplinary sequential approach can be used by other Extension programs to reach