Understanding the learning process in SMEs

A major obstacle to the diffusion of management development learning technologies from Higher Education Institutions to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) is a lack of understanding about how SME learners learn. This article examines the nature of learning in SMEs and considers the incidence of informal support for informal learning. Consideration is given to the potential for the use of learning technology to support SME learning, considering potential benefits, development of appropriate content, formal vs. informal learning technology support and the socialisation of learning content. Finally, the application of this study at both a macro and micro level is reflected upon

Tackling the drivers of child undernutrition in developing countries : What works and how should interventions be designed?

OBJECTIVE: The present paper presents a synthesis of available evidence to support action on the interventions that can effectively address the main drivers of child undernutrition in developing countries. It also discusses how interventions should be designed and identifies policy-relevant areas for further research. DESIGN: A structured literature review of fifty-eight controlled evaluations and studies in developing countries were selected because they are methodologically sound, recent (reported within the past 10 years), report on nutritional status, cover a wide range of interventions and are implemented by a range of different agencies. SETTING: Indirect interventions in developing countries, which address the underlying and basic causes of child undernutrition and can potentially be implemented in the short to medium term. SUBJECTS: Children under 5 years of age and their mothers across a range of developing countries. RESULTS: Evidence has now accumulated to guide action on a range of indirect interventions that can reduce child undernutrition, but for all these interventions context is all-important. There is less evidence on how these interventions can be effectively implemented on a large scale. CONCLUSIONS: Efforts should be directed towards improving implementation of effective interventions on a large scale. Donors need to keep commitments both in dollar terms and in terms of the Paris Declaration so that the push for improved nutrition does not become donor driven. At the country level, there is a need for enabling governance structures, institutions and evidence-based decision making. Within countries there is a need for well-trained personnel with delegated authority, accountable to local people. It is essential for chains of accountability to be transparent and for active involvement of households in decision-making processes

New partnerships for learning: meeting professional information needs

This paper has been prompted by the challenges created by recent proposed reforms to social care services in the UK services which are being 'modernised', a term ubiquitous in policy documents but difficult to define with confidence. Government modernisation and e-government programmes highlight with renewed urgency the need for social care practitioners on the front line to have up-to-date, reliable information. Yet the rise in the rate and volume of information published (over new and old channels) has, paradoxically, made it increasingly difficult for them to keep up with new developments. How can higher education institutions best contribute to the social care community through a period of profound ideological and structural change? In particular, the paper discusses the key challenges of keeping abreast of research; changes in the social/organisational/professional context of social care; how social care practitioners learn; and effectively integrating practice, research and educatio

The Vagina Dentata Motif in Nahuatl and Pueblo Mythic Narratives: A Comparative Study

One of the basic problems of working with Pre-Columbian literary comparisons is the irreparable loss of so much material. Extensive transcribed fragments of Nahuatl pre-conquest literature do exist, but there are, as far as we know, no extant Pueblo manuscripts of corresponding age. There are, however, the narrative myth bowls which illustrated the prevailing Pre-Columbian Pueblo myths. 1 While it is a commonplace that the sixteenth century burning of the ancient Aztec and Mayan books was disastrous, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the breakage of ancient Pueblo pottery by twentieth century treasure hunters (who use bulldozers) is equally disastrous to comparative studies of Pre-Columbian culture. We still do have some comparable literary fragments from both the northern and the southern cultures, and through them we can draw some parallels between the surviving Mesoamerican literature (recorded by Spanish churchmen in the sixteenth century) and the surviving Pueblo literature (recorded by American anthropologists in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries)

Early childhood portfolios as a tool for enhancing learning during the transition to school

From 2005-2008 Mangere Bridge Kindergarten in New Zealand carried out a Centre of Innovation research project exploring the transition between early childhood education and school. A flexible action research approach was used, with the three teacher researchers, supported by two university research associates, developing and researching a range of strategies for supporting children’s learning as the children and their families ‘crossed the border’ from early childhood education to school. Many of these initiatives involved working closely with teachers in the local school setting. This paper focuses on one aspect of the findings, the ways in which the early childhood portfolios could be used to enhance children’s learning during the transition to school. Portfolios were identified as a belonging and empowerment tool; a means for school teachers to access to children’s funds of knowledge; playing a role in constructing a positive self-image about learning; and as valuable literacy artefacts

Classifying multiple ethnic identifications: Methodological effects on child, adolescent, and adult ethnic distributions

Background: The burgeoning global multi-ethnic population, in conjunction with the importance of accurate ethnic group counts for research and policy purposes, make classification of multiple ethnic responses a complex but important issue. There are numerous possible classification approaches, differing in ethical implications and ease of statistical application. Objective: This study empirically examines the validity and consistency of three comparatively accessible ethnic classification methods (total response, administrative-prioritisation, and self-prioritisation) in increasingly ethnically diverse age cohorts (adults, adolescents, and children). Methods: We utilised secondary data from two large-scale studies in Aotearoa/New Zealand which asked children (N = 6,149; responded via mother proxy), adolescents (N = 8,464), and adults (N = 11,210) to select (1) all the ethnicities they identified with, and (2) their main ethnicity. The data were coded, then analysed using descriptive statistics and z-tests for proportional differences. Results: The majority of multi-ethnic participants were able to select a main ethnic group when required, but around 20Š could not or refused to do so, and there was over 60Š discrepancy between self-prioritised ethnicity and administrative-prioritised ethnicity. Differences by age group and ethnic combination were apparent. Comparison of overall ethnic group proportions outputted by the three classification methods revealed within-group variation, particularly where there were higher rates of multi-ethnic identification. Contribution: This study empirically demonstrates that researchers' choice of ethnic classification method can have a strong influence on ethnic group proportions. Researchers should therefore select the classification method most appropriate for their research question and clearly report the method employed

Eyes, ears and technology : an evaluation of the use of video-conferencing in BPR workshops

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of video-conferencing as a suitable technology for business process reengineering (BPR) training of 12 health sector participants located in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Design/methodology/approach: An action research was adopted. The participants received training from a remote BPR consultant located in Northern Ireland (UK), with the assistance of local moderators. The focus of the study is concerned with the quality of the learning experience and the important role played by local moderators. Findings: Overall, the use of video-conferencing technology provided a valuable learning experience. It was also cost effective and an efficient use of both the consultants' and the participants' time. A key part of the success of the exercise was the role of one of the local moderators who acted as the eyes and ears of the consultant. Originality/value: A general contribution to knowledge is the positioning of the argument developed within the technology diffusion literature. The paper offers important insights into the effective use of video-conferencing technology for BPR training purposes; and Knipe and Lee's evaluation of a video-conferencing experiment in terms of the relationship between the human actors at the remote and local sites is discussed and extended

Bringing installation art to reconnaissance to share values and generate action

The English education system has recently seen something of a revival of enthusiasm for the use of research both to develop educational practices and to gather evidence about their effectiveness. These initiatives often present action research as a model of individual problem-solving, which, we argue, communicates a limited conception of action research. In this paper we propose an alternative to this ‘problem-solving’ conception of action research that acknowledges the complex, messy nature of action research through the use of arts installations. Specifically, we present the reconnaissance phase of a project which brought together a partnership comprising a water heritage museum, university staff, teachers and artists. A pedagogical adaptation of contemporary installation art theory and practice fostered the exploration of individual and collective understandings of water, and also established a shared approach to curriculum development and ownership of the project among all participants. We propose that this creative practice enhanced and changed the process of reconnaissance; it allowed the group to establish and share commitments to the value of water conservation and generated a wide range of options for our action research

Impact of blood processing variations on natural killer cell frequency, activation, chemokine receptor expression and function.

Understanding the role of natural killer (NK) cells in human disease pathogenesis is crucial and necessitates study of patient samples directly ex vivo. Manipulation of whole blood by density gradient centrifugation or delays in sample processing due to shipping, however, may lead to artifactual changes in immune response measures. Here, we assessed the impact of density gradient centrifugation and delayed processing of both whole blood and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) at multiple timepoints (2–24 h) on flow cytometric measures of NK cell frequency, activation status, chemokine receptor expression, and effector functions. We found that density gradient centrifugation activated the NK cells and modified the chemokine receptor expression. Delays in processing beyond 8 h activated NK cells in PBMC but not in whole blood. Likewise, processing delays decreased chemokine receptor (CCR4 and CCR7) expression in both PBMC and whole blood. Finally, delays in processing PBMC were associated with a decreased ability of NK cells to degranulate (as measured by CD107a expression) or secrete cytokines (IFN-γ and TNF-α). In summary, our findings suggest that density gradient centrifugation and delayed processing of PBMC can alter measures of clinically relevant NK cell characteristics including effector functions; and therefore should be taken into account in designing clinical research studies