The role of external examinations in the making of secondary modern schools in England 1945-65

Secondary modern schools form the focus for this paper, which explores an aspect of this topic that has received comparatively little attention: the role of external examinations in determining the character and fate of these schools during the 20-year period when they educated the 'large majority'1 of pupils in the 11 to 15 age range. Particular attention is paid to the pivotal role played by external examinations in secondary modern schools' quest for parity of esteem with grammar schools. Various functions performed by external examinations are considered and it is shown that, while some worked against the interests of secondary modern schools, individual schools were able to turn others to their own advantage. The paper ends by considering a darker side to examining, which was asserting itself as this brief period of history drew to a close. 1 McCulloch, G. Failing the Ordinary Child? The Theory and Practice of Working-class Secondary Education. Buckingham: Open University Press, 1998: 6

Marking as judgment

An aspect of assessment which has received little attention compared with perennial concerns, such as standards or reliability, is the role of judgment in marking. This paper explores marking as an act of judgment, paying particular attention to the nature of judgment and the processes involved. It brings together studies which have explored marking from a psychological perspective for the purpose of critical discussion of the light they shed on each other and on the practice of marking. Later stages speculate on recent developments in psychology and neuroscience which may cast further light on educational assessment

The rocks from space “Space Safari”: an example of remote public engagement in the planetary sciences

We describe an integrated online science programme incorporating Moodle virtual learning environments (VLEs) and Elluminate Live! virtual classrooms. The “Space Safari” was run as part of the Rocks From Space (RFS) programme hosted at The Open University (OU) and in partnership with Stockton City Learning Centre (SCLC). Schools used these resources for direct science teaching or to incorporate them into the wider curriculum (arts/literature etc), after which they produce an output. Emphasis was on providing links between schools and scientists within the higher education sector. Live sessions with experts via Elluminate Live! were held regularly, including sessions with NASA scientists and astronomers in Mallorca. Teachers and students have used Space Safari resources as part of the school science curriculum and to develop key skills and additional curriculum skills. They have also used it for informal (forums, online discussions) opportunities to engage with science. Over 3 years of the project, over 1500 students have engaged, with the project. The use of virtual classrooms enabled direct interaction with many students; one session alone involved over 100 students. This project is now hosted on the eTwinning portal to enable sustainability and widen access

Double marking revisited

In 2002, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) published the report of an independent panel of experts into maintaining standards at Advanced Level (A-Level). One of its recommendations was for: ‘limited experimental double marking of scripts in subjects such as English to determine whether the strategy would signi-ficantly reduce errors of measurement’ (p. 24). This recommendation provided the impetus for this paper which reviews the all but forgotten literature on double marking and considers its relevance now

A ‘quiet revolution’? The impact of Training Schools on initial teacher training partnerships

This paper discusses the impact on initial teacher training of a new policy initiative in England: the introduction of Training Schools. First, the Training School project is set in context by exploring the evolution of a partnership approach to initial teacher training in England. Ways in which Training Schools represent a break with established practice are considered together with their implications for the dominant mode of partnership led by higher education institutions (HEIs). The capacity of Training Schools to achieve their own policy objectives is examined, especially their efficacy as a strategy for managing innovation and the dissemination of innovation. The paper ends by focusing on a particular Training School project which has adopted an unusual approach to its work and enquires whether this alternative approach could offer a more profitable way forward. During the course of the paper, five different models of partnership are considered: collaborative, complementary, HEI-led, school-led and partnership within a partnership

Is self-assessment in religious education unique?

This paper addresses the question: is self-assessment in religious education unique? It first presents an overview of some challenges for assessment from subject differences, and then reviews the generic literature on self-assessment. It builds on earlier empirical research on self-assessment in religious education, carried out in an English state secondary school (Fancourt 2010); this was used to propose a variant of self-assessment which is tailored to the demands of religious education – reflexive self-assessment. Its implications for more general understandings of the relationship between subject pedagogy and self-assessment are discussed, especially the recognition of values not only in religious education but in other subjects too, reinforcing the need to develop subject-specific variants of self-assessment that reflect the breadth of learning outcomes

Singularities of Magnetic and Elastic Characteristics of La2/3Ba1/3MnO3: Analysis of Martensitic Kinetics

A coordinated temperature behavior of magnetic susceptibility and internal friction has been observed in the La2/3Ba1/3MnO3 manganite in the temperature region of the crystal phase separation 5-340 K. Stepwise temperature behavior of the susceptibility of the single crystal sample and corresponding singular behavior of the internal friction in the polycrystalline manganite have been found. These small-scale features of the temperature dependences of the susceptibility and the internal friction are considered to be a reflection of martensitic kinetics of the structural phase transformation R3c-Imma in the 200 K temperature region.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, Submitted J. Magn. Magn. Mate

A graph-based approach identifies dynamic H-bond communication networks in spike protein S of SARS-CoV-2

We apply graph-based approaches to identify H-bond clusters in protein complexes. Three conformations of spike protein S have distinct H-bond clusters at key sites. Hydrogen-bond clusters could govern structural plasticity of spike protein S. Protein S binds to ACE2 receptor via H-bond clusters extending deep across interface.Corona virus spike protein S is a large homo-trimeric protein anchored in the membrane of the virion particle. Protein S binds to angiotensin-converting-enzyme 2, ACE2, of the host cell, followed by proteolysis of the spike protein, drastic protein conformational change with exposure of the fusion peptide of the virus, and entry of the virion into the host cell. The structural elements that govern conformational plasticity of the spike protein are largely unknown. Here, we present a methodology that relies upon graph and centrality analyses, augmented by bioinformatics, to identify and characterize large H-bond clusters in protein structures. We apply this methodology to protein S ectodomain and find that, in the closed conformation, the three protomers of protein S bring the same contribution to an extensive central network of H-bonds, and contribute symmetrically to a relatively large H-bond cluster at the receptor binding domain, and to a cluster near a protease cleavage site. Markedly different H-bonding at these three clusters in open and pre-fusion conformations suggest dynamic H-bond clusters could facilitate structural plasticity and selection of a protein S protomer for binding to the host receptor, and proteolytic cleavage. From analyses of spike protein sequences we identify patches of histidine and carboxylate groups that could be involved in transient proton binding.PSI COVID19 Emergency Science FundSpanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities RTI2018-098983-B-I00Excellence Initiative of the German Federal and State Governments via the Freie Universitat BerlinGerman Research Foundation (DFG) SFB 107

Working and learning across professional boundaries

This paper focuses on a context where interdisciplinarity intersects with interprofessionality: the work of children's services professionals who address the needs of children identified as vulnerable. It draws on evidence and perspectives from two disciplines - educational studies and health care - to consider the issues and challenges posed by learning and/or working across disciplinary boundaries and why these have proved so obdurate