Virtual communities and professional learning across a distributed remote membership

Headteachers, or Principals, of schools work in isolation from each other yet share common practice and domain of leadership and management. They exhibit the characteristics of a community of practice yet are remote from other members of their community. Similar communities of practice can be identified for other types of school leaders, subject co-ordinators for example, and for professionals in other disciplines – consultant registrars in health, optometrists working in dispensing opticians, museum curators, and so on. This paper explores ways of using virtual communities to develop professional learning in these communities of practice. We discuss our work in the context of education and formal and informal learning communities of school leaders and explore how the lessons learnt have general application. We present a model for professional learning through online collaboration and communication, and look, in particular, at the concept of time and its effects in the virtual community

A report on the ULTRLAB's development of online components in NCSL programmes

This report is one of two produced by ULTRALAB forthe National College of School Leadership (NCSL). Here we discuss the research and development of online components of two NCSL programmes. The other report looks at the Talking Heads project, an online community for Headteachers in England. This report considers our work on two NCSL programmes. The new model National Qualification for Headship (NPQH) had its first cohort of learners in March 2001. ULTRALAB was involved in consultancy with the DfES, the writers of the programme materials and the ten regional training providers, in setting up the online elements from September 2000. The online community aspects of NPQH were established using think.com software, with the name Virtual Heads chosen for the overarching national community. The pilot for the Certificate of School Business Management started in February 2002. Our involvement here was to develop the online community and support the tutors in its use.The online community aspects were established using think.com software, with the name Bursars’ Count chosen for the overarching national community

Promoting social change to overcome the stigma of mental disorders : aspirations, cooperation and commitment to collective mental health advocacy

A significant body of research demonstrates that people with mental disorders face prejudice and discrimination from other people in society and the health professions as well as systemic and structural disadvantage. Although this structural stigma is recognised as a significant problem for people with mental disorders in the psychological literature, the methods for reducing stigma overwhelmingly focus on changing the attitudes and behaviours of individuals, thereby failing to address the structural disadvantage that perpetuates that stigma. In this thesis, I argue that in order to develop methods that will be effective in reducing stigma, these methods must also produce movement towards positive social change to overcome systemic disadvantage. I propose this change can be achieved by cooperation between people who support mental health advocacy and in particular cooperation between people with mental disorders (and carers), health providers and other members of the public (including government officials) who hold a shared group membership, in what we have termed a cooperative community. This thesis presents five studies to explore aspirations for cooperation among people committed to the aims of mental health advocacy. Studies 1, 2 and 3 (Chapter 4), utilising nominal supporters of the aims of mental health advocacy, demonstrate there is strong commitment to mental health advocacy among people who are not active advocates for mental health but who nonetheless identify as members of this group based on shared opinion. Additionally, this opinion-based group identity is strongly associated with an ideology of endorsing cooperation as the most desirable and effective method for reducing stigma and achieving positive change. This ideology adds unique prediction to non-stigmatizing individual practices (positive beliefs and social interaction intentions) and intended socio-political action. Studies 4 and 5 (Chapters 6 and 7) then explored aspirations for cooperation among active advocates for mental health. Document analyses and interviews with members of two different mental health advocacy organizations demonstrate that advocates strongly value partnerships in the mental health sector, work to develop collaborations to advance mental health advocacy and view cooperation between people with mental disorders and carers, health providers, members of the public and government officials as vital collaborations in making a positive difference for people with mental disorders and the mental health sector. Findings are therefore consistent with those of Studies 1-3 in indicating that people committed to the aims of mental health advocacy, whether nominal or active supporters, strongly aspire to a cooperative community. Taken together, results of the research presented in this thesis provide evidence to support the proposal that (a) social identification as a supporter of mental health advocacy (i.e., an opinion-based group identity) and (b) a shared group ideology that endorses aspirations for cooperation are both strong drivers for stigma-reducing practices to advance the cause of people with mental disorders. The current research also adds to understanding about opinion-based group identities in mobilising collective action and the role of group-based ideology in providing a shared orientation for group actions. Implications for training and community programs are discussed

A discourse analysis of trainee teacher identity in online discussion forums

Teacher education involves an identity transformation for trainees from being a student to being a teacher. This discourse analysis examined the online discussion board communications of a cohort of trainee teachers to better understand the situated identities of the trainees and how they were presented online. Their discussion board posts were the primary method of communication during placement periods and, as such, provided insight into how the trainees situated their identities in terms of being a student or being a teacher. During the analysis, the community boundaries, language and culture were explored along with the tutor's power and role in the identity transformation process. This involved looking at the lexis used by the students, the use of pronouns to refer to themselves and others such as teachers and pupils, the types of messages allowed in the community and the effect of the tutor's messages on their communication. The research found that the trainees felt comfortable with teaching but did not feel like teachers during the course. Tutors and school teachers need to develop an awareness of the dual nature of trainees' identities and help promote the transition from student to teacher. In the beginning of the course, trainees should be familiarised with teacher vocabulary and practical concepts in addition to pedagogical theory. Towards the end of the course, trainee identity as teachers could be promoted through the use of authentic assessments that mirror real teacher tasks and requirements

Single Portion Packaging and the Use of User Test Protocols to Determine Patient Accessibility

In 2015, the UK National Health Service (NHS) established a taskforce to review single portion food and beverage packaging, which has been identified as a potential challenge to users in hospitals. Hence, a study was undertaken to determine the suitability and accessibility of the current single portion packs. The packaging was assessed using ISO 17480 (Guidelines for Accessible Packaging), Annex D. The standard determines a pass or fail of packaging opening asking a panel 20 older adults to open a pack. A pack is recorded as a failure if within the 20 people cohort, there is an example of pack being unable to be opened within the time limit (defined as 1 minute) or the overall satisfaction score ranks below 3 on a 5-point Likert scale. Ten standard single portion packaging items were randomly selected for testing. The packs were chosen to reflect a broad range of food and beverage and packaging types. The results showed that the standard provided useful assessment data, identifying that 70% of the packs were so poorly designed that they failed to pass the standard, with 50% of the packs having examples that were unopenable by the participants, whilst a further 20% rated poorly for satisfaction

Single Portion Packaging And The Use Of User Test Protocols To Determine Patient Accesibility

In 2015, the UK National Health Service (NHS) established a taskforce to review single portion food and beverage packaging, which has been identified as a potential challenge to users in hospitals. Hence, a study was undertaken to determine the suitability and accessibility of the current single portion packs. The packaging was assessed using ISO 17480 (Guidelines for Accessible Packaging), Annex D. The standard determines a pass or fail of packaging opening asking a panel 20 older adults to open a pack. A pack is recorded as a failure if within the 20 people cohort, there is an example of pack being unable to be opened within the time limit (defined as 1 minute) or the overall satisfaction score ranks below 3 on a 5-point Likert scale. Ten standard single portion packaging items were randomly selected for testing. The packs were chosen to reflect a broad range of food and beverage and packaging types. The results showed that the standard provided useful assessment data, identifying that 70% of the packs were so poorly designed that they failed to pass the standard, with 50% of the packs having examples that were unopenable by the participants, whilst a further 20% rated poorly for satisfaction

Women\u27s Health and Health Care Reform: The Economic Burden of Disease in Women

This report estimates the direct and indirect costs of care for women for the major chronic diseases and conditions that women face across the lifespan. It also identifies the key primary care and preventive services that can lead to prevention, early detection or early intervention for these conditions. Health care screening, counseling, early diagnosis, and early intervention health care services are important for women at each stage of their lives. But women typically seek care in primary care settings for family planning services and cancer screening prior to becoming pregnant. As a result, high quality care during the reproductive years offers an important opportunity to identify risk factors and health conditions and to provide appropriate interventions and quality care. Primary and preventive care standards also underscore that screening for cancer, risks for heart disease, family planning services and detection of violence, as well as smoking cessation and nutrition counseling, should begin during the reproductive years. A healthy pregnancy, leading to the best outcome for both mother and child, begins when the woman is in the best possible health prior to conception. Counseling on obesity prevention and smoking cessation are vital prior to pregnancy; delaying counseling until after conception compromises a woman\u27s ability to achieve the best outcomes. Identification of hypertension and/or gestational diabetes in pregnancy provides an opportunity to identify women at higher risk of heart disease and diabetes later in life. Early care is particularly important for women who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups. Approximately one in every three residents of the United States self-identifies as African-American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific-American, or Latino. Disparities in health status are closely associated with race and ethnicity – in health insurance coverage, psychosocial stress, discrimination and health care access and quality, and in deaths due to breast cancer and pregnancy-related causes

Striking Encounters: Problematics with Experience, Reflexivity and Learning

This article seeks to explore a series of encounters where we engage with research with a view to learning differently. We argue that every encounter is a form of research if we can marshall the connecting threads and consider the individual as both singularity and collective. We use reflexivity to go beyond reflection and strive to construct knowledge as individual and collective purpose. We draw upon striking examples to explore how issues of learning, reflexivity, and pedagogy develop thinking in education, especially in Higher Education (HE). We seek to move beyond accounts of experience that merely describe and report and which borrow from humanistic accounts of a subject (one which both experiences and who thinks) an approach which we dub “De(s)-carting.” We then move toward explorations, which seek more engaged, concrete, ethical approaches that open up possibilities and offer alternative conceptions of working with experience in education, in all its variety