No Intention to Learn: Unintentional Learning from the Assessment of Competence.

This aim of this study was to examine what, and how, candidates learn from participating in an assessment of competence process where there is no explicit intention to learn. The awarding body, advisors and candidates focus on the assessment process as a route to membership and appear blind to the potential for learning from assessment. It was clear in this study that candidates pursued this route to membership precisely because it met their expressed motives to gain professional status and credibility with clients; a requirement for their current job role or for future roles - none claimed a motive to learn but they did recognise that overall the process was developmental. Advisors also acknowledged that candidates were pursuing this route for the outcome rather than for what development might happen during the process. The research addressed the questions of the role of narrative and of the advisor in the assessment of competence and what learning occurred as a result of the assessment process. This was driven by an interest in the applications of narrative in the assessment process and the research analysis. Candidates told the stories of their experience of the process and provided copies of their written accounts explaining how the evidence of their work met the assessment criteria. Advisors told the stories of their experiences with candidates. These sources were analysed using a methodological process of narrative inquiry from a social constructivist perspective. The findings showed evidence of learning occurring as a result of the assessment of competence process, beyond that required from the assessment criteria and standards, in the three areas of propositional, process, and personal learning. The role of written narrative as an artefact was important in motivating candidates: where they could see their portfolio growing. The role of the advisor was both as a mentor: directing and supporting; and as a coach: enabling and facilitating. Advisors offered an extra dimension to the candidates' reflections by interpreting the standards; making connections between the standards and the candidates' work experience; and giving formative feedback. The role of the advisor incorporated reflection and social learning: through helping candidates to make meaning of their experiences and expanding their stories, candidates moved from sense making to transformative learning, from surface to deep approaches to learning. Unintended learning should not be a surprise output from the competence assessment process: learning will occur despite the focus on the assessment of learning and despite there being no formal acknowledgement of assessment for learning. Because the process includes re-engagement with work experiences, written and spoken reflective processes, a deep approach to learning can ensue. There are possible applications of this research in the areas of competence assessment; academic tutorials; supervision or appraisal discussions; assessment and development centres; mentoring and coaching, where the use of competences, written and spoken narratives come together to enable learning from the process itself

Research challenges for cultural ecosystem services and public health in (peri-)urban environments

Urbanization is a global trend, and consequently the quality of urban environments is increasingly important for human health and wellbeing. Urban life-style is typically associated with low physical activity and sometimes with high mental stress, both contributing to an increasing burden of diseases. Nature-based solutions that make effective use of ecosystem services, particularly of cultural ecosystem services (CES), can provide vital building blocks to address these challenges. This paper argues that, the salutogenic, i.e. health-promoting effects of CES have so far not been adequately recognised and deserve more explicit attention in order to enhance decision making around health and wellbeing in urban areas. However, a number of research challenges will need to be addressed to reveal the mechanisms, which underpin delivery of urban CES. These include: causal chains of supply and demand, equity, and equality of public health benefits promoted. Methodological challenges in quantifying these are discussed. The paper is highly relevant for policy makers within and beyond Europe, and also serves as a review for current researchers and as a roadmap to future short- and long-term research opportunities. Highlights • Concerns positive public health impacts of urban nature's cultural ecosystem services (CES). • Discusses global development trends' implications for the provision and demand of CES. • Discusses current research and key research questions for a new research agenda

Creative Cities and the Concept of Diversity

This paper presents a review on theories and empirical studies relevant for the concept of diversity of people in the creative cities literature. The upcoming question enquires which role diversity plays in creative cities. The paper aims to summarize and compare key diversity components considered in research. Based on the review, conclusions are drawn to the attention of policy makers that soft location factors, such as the diversity of people, matter for urban development

Level of invasion and invasibility of European habitats, assessed on the basis of large phytosociological databases

Habitats vary considerably in the level of invasion (LI), i.e. the number or proportion of alien plant species. To determine typical LIs for different habitats, we compiled a database of 52 480 relevés from three contrasting regions: Catalonia, Czech Republic and Great Britain. We classified plants into neophytes, archaeophytes and native, and calculated the proportion of each group in 33 EUNIS habitats. Only 8 of 545 aliens found in the relevés occurred in all three regions. Despite this large difference in alien species composition, habitat LIs were consistent among regions. Few aliens were found in nutrient-poor habitats, e.g. mires, heaths and alpine grasslands. Many aliens were found in frequently disturbed habitats with fluctuating nutrient availability, e.g. in man-made habitats. Neophytes were also frequently found in coastal, littoral and riverine habitats. Besides local habitat properties LI depends on propagule pressure of aliens. To determine real susceptibility of habitats to invasions (invasibility), it is necessary to factor out the effects of propagule pressure on the LI. We did it by statistical modelling based on phytosociological data and digital maps. Using regression trees, the proportion of aliens was related to variables representing habitat properties, propagule pressure and climate. Propagule pressure was expressed through urban, industrial or agricultural land cover and human population density in the region. Urban and industrial land use positively affected the proportion of both archaeophytes and neophytes. Agricultural land use and higher population density positively affected the proportion of archaeophytes. After removing the propagule pressure effect, some habitats with intermediate LI had very low relative proportions of aliens. This indicates that these habitats, e.g., dry, wet and saline grasslands, base-rich fens or deciduous forests are invasion-resistant. Overall, habitats explained much more variation in the LI than propagule pressure. Our findings that (1) habitat LIs are consistent across contrasting parts of Europe, and (2) LI mainly depends on habitat type and less so on propagule pressure, enabled us to extrapolate our data to wider Europe. By plotting the quantitative information on the LIs from Catalonian, Czech and British data on the CORINE land cover map of Europe, we produced the first European LI map