Early Music Education as a Tool for Inclusion and Respect for Diversity. Study Paper for the Bernard van Leer Foundation

This report explores the topic of using music education activities as a way to address inclusion and respect for diversity with children. It is intended to inform the development of appropriate activities and indicators for the Bernard van Leer Foundation’s Social inclusion and respect for diversity issue area, particularly those which address the use of music in projects with young children. The study begins with an overview of musical development from prenatal to eight years of age and provides a review of the significant processes and outcomes of music education activities aimed at bringing together children in divided contexts. It is apparent that cross-community development of music skills has been and continues to be an effective means of addressing prejudice with young people. The study includes the analysis of interviews with 16 experienced practitioners in Northern Ireland regarding ways in which music plays a part in facilitating respect and inclusion with young people, and an analysis of five children’s focus groups. It concludes with recommendations to bring this knowledge to the early childhood and lower primary school sector and offers some questions for further study

Musical styles as communities of practice : challenges for learning, teaching and assessment of music in higher education

The last three decades have been marked by significant expansion of music education within higher education, the outcomes of which can be seen in the increased numbers of students studying music and in the diversity of activity and purpose within music courses. This article interrogates the relationship between stylistic diversity and music provision, specifically in relation to teaching and assessment, and considers music styles as examples of 'communities of practice' into which students may be inducted through formal and informal means

Models of technology and change in higher education: an international comparative survey on the current and future use of ICT in higher education

The aim of this study is to investigate which scenarios are emerging with respect to the use of ICT in higher education and how future developments can be predicted and strategic choices can be based on that. It seeks to answer the following questions:\ud What strategic responses do institutions make with respect to the use of ICT; Which external conditions and developments influence these choices; Which external and internal conditions and measures are taken in order to achievestrategic targets; What are the implications for technology use, teaching and learning processes and staff? \ud The study applies an international comparative methodology and is carried out in the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, the United Kingdom, Australia, Finland and the USA. Data were collected through Web-based questionnaires tailored to three different response groups: decision makers, support staff and instructors. In total 693 persons responded to the questionnaire. This implies that between 20 and 50 percent of the institutions in the various countries responded (institutional data were also gathered), with the exception of the USA where the response was much lower

A comparison of A-level performance in economics and business studies: how much more difficult is economics?

This paper uses ALIS data to compare academic performance in two subjects often viewed as relatively close substitutes for one another at A-level. The important role of GCSE achievement is confirmed for both subjects. There is evidence of strong gender effects and variation in outcomes across Examination Boards. A counterfactual exercise suggests that if the sample of Business Studies candidates had studied Economics nearly 40% of those who obtained a grade C or better in the former subject would not have done so in the latter. The opposite exercise uggests that 12% more Economics candidates would have achieved a grade C or better if they had taken Business Studies. In order to render a Business Studies A-level grade comparable to an Economics one in terms of relative difficulty, we estimate that a downward adjustment of 1.5 UCAS points should be applied to the former subject. This adjustment is lower than that suggested by correction factors based on conventional subject pair analysis for these two subjects

Assessing Service Quality in the Ghanaian Private Healthcare Sector: The Case of Comboni Hospital.

The healthcare industry has become a paramount concern for most people in Ghana and the quality of services rendered to the patients in the private hospitals cannot be overemphasized. Patients need quality of services most and are willing to seek better services. The government has been the main provider of health care services in Ghana but recently, some Non-Governmental Organization’s (NGO’s), private individuals and stakeholders also provide health care services which has surged the competitiveness in creating more healthcare facilities in Ghana. This study seeks to explore patients' choice of selecting quality healthcare services and the factors that affect patient satisfaction in private hospitals using the case of Comboni Hospital in Sogakope, Ghana. The study therefore used the quantitative research method to collect the data and SPSS version 22 was used to analyze the data on high-quality healthcare. The SERVQUAL model was used as the measurement scale. Multiple regression analysis was used to reveal the effect of the independent variables (reliability, responsiveness, empathy, assurance, and tangibility) on the dependent variable (patient satisfaction). A detailed description in the analysis and the data processing identified the main factors affecting the general perceptions and patient preferences about their healthcare in the private hospital. The study revealed that there exist a positive result and perception for quality healthcare services without a negative expectation of the patient healthcare being compromised. The study recommends that both the government and the private agencies should consider the important aspects of the hospital’s healthcare management and also the policy and decision makers should have an efficient and effective standard that impact the quality of healthcare assessment in Ghana

Abstracts and classification of graduate studies.

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit