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January 2003 |
So, what is the cost of "the higher education experience" and when is the "best" time to indulge in the experience? That depends, very largely, on which of the many pundits you listen to! Just to prove, yet again, the range of sources we use to bring you the news we've a report from MoneyBox on BBC Radio Four on student funding. I'd like to take credit for knowing that the programme was being broadcast – the truth is that I caught the tail end of the discussion by accident.
As readers of longer standing (notice that I have avoided saying "older readers") you will know that much of the information in Members' Update is obtained from journals subscribed to by the Department for Education and Skills, available in the library in Sheffield, through Dawn and I visiting the library for a day towards the end of each month. This month went somewhat awry. First, Dawn has a streaming cold (was it 'flu?) and I had to go on my own. Second, one day was not enough so I has to go back the next day (for the afternoon). Third, even that wasn't enough so Dawn is going to Sheffield next week to pick up some of the things that I had to leave – these will appear next month. Fourth, several of the journals which we have regularly used are no longer subscribed to by the DfES as it is considered that they are not relevant to the department's role. These are now available at the Department for Work and Pensions library in London. So, off to London we go!
The Future of Education – how much to put in and what to leave out? That is the question; whether 'tis better to suffer the agonies of reading it all to edit it or put it all in (and have a very long Update) or to leave out some of the longer articles.
The digital curriculum – should, or should not, the BBC be allowed to compete in an area which is, according to some commentators, already well catered for. I suspect that the argument will rumble on despite the contract having been awarded.
I am aware that most of what I've written so far applies to England (and Wales in some cases). News from Northern Ireland in Update is woefully short and for Scotland we rely on press releases from the Scottish Executive and the national media augmented by a couple of "Scotland specific" journals.
It's unfortunate, to say the least, that the document collection built up by Northern Light has collapsed with the parent company's bankruptcy. This is already having a major impact on academic and specialist libraries which have paid up-front subscriptions and now do not know whether the journals will arrive!
When a June journal appears on the shelf in January (presumably having been hiding at the bottom of a pile on someone's desk) there's not much point in the "news" items but some comment still has relevance 6 months later – and will be included, space permitting.
Last week was a week of contradictions. First off, there were two opinions on the work/life balance issue. Amicus, the manufacturing, science and finance union had some sharp criticism to throw at managers, because they weren't allowing more flexible working. Then compare their views with those of market analysts Mintel. They found that the workers are enjoying more satisfaction in balancing work and life.
Contradictions, Part II. Income Data Services says graduate recruitment is in big trouble and the picture is decidedly gloomy for those grabbing their mortar board and gown and rushing into the job market. The Association of Graduate Recruiters has poured, not so much cold water, as a bucket of ice cubes on Income Data Services' findings. The AGR claims that the life of a graduate jobseeker couldn't be easier.
Radical reform to make universities more open to all students and more competitive in the world economy was today (22 January) unveiled by Charles Clarke, Education and Skills Secretary. Launching the Future of Higher Education White Paper, Mr Clarke made clear that coasting along, basking in previous successes and shirking the need to reform the sector would be harmful to the economy as well as universities and students themselves. Standing still was not an option, he said.
The Future of Higher Education is in .PDF at www.dfes.gov.uk/highereducation/hestrategy/pdfs/DfES-HigherEducation.pdf
Statement by the Secretary of State www.dfes.gov.uk/highereducation/hestrategy/pdfs/CharlesClarkeHEStatement.pdf
A shorter document for students and parents What it Means to Students and Parents is at www.dfes.gov.uk/highereducation/hestrategy/pdfs/DFES
You can order priced copies of the Future of Higher Education by contacting 0870 600 5533 or emailing orders@theso.co.uk quoting reference number: CM 5735.
DfES Press Notice 2003/0008
(relates to England) 22
January
Update comment: I've omitted a great of this very long press release but, have you noticed the first inconsistency? Headline "Future of higher education in England and Wales" but the press release "relates to England".
As listed by The Guardian (22 January)
The government has been warned that it could face opposition over top-up fees from up to 150 of its own MPs. However, Phil Willis, the Liberal Democrat education spokesman, argues that there is very little that rebellious MPs can do. He points out that the only part of the proposals which require a vote is whether to raise tuition fees from their current level to a maximum of £3,000. Mr Willis said: "Many backbenchers feel that their day in the sun will come, but they will learn that it has already gone. The select committee's report will be debated but not the proposals. It's a stitch up."
Polly Curtis, The Guardian 22 January
In an article for The THES (24 January) Alison Goddard provides an outline of the long-awaited higher education White Paper, The Future of Higher Education. The key points are:
All up-front fees are to be abolished and top-up fees have been set at £3,000 per year and will be introduced in 2006. Top-ups will apply to all higher education qualifications, including foundation degrees. Repayment will commence after graduation, but only if the person is earning £15,000 or more per year. Interestingly, universities must draw up an Access Agreement to improve access for disadvantaged students, before they will be allowed to charge higher fees. Maintenance grants have been reintroduced for students from low income families which will cover the first £1,100 of fees, plus up to £1,000 per year. Ms Goddard tells us that the White Paper seems to envisage "a handful of élite research institutions, a group of leading research universities, a group of leading regional universities doing research and teaching, a number of institutions concentrating mainly on teaching and a cohort of former higher education colleges gaining university status, but only for undergraduate teaching."
A selection of documents relating to the White Paper, including an executive summary and the White Paper itself, is available at www.dfes.gov.uk/highereducation/hestrategy/
Update comment: At last! Now we can all officially un-bate our breath and wait for the lilting sounds of the "hurrahs" and "boos" to begin. Dawn.
Professor Nicholas Barr, the economist who first proposed the loans and fees scheme some 10 years ago, responded to the news that fees will be deferred until after graduation by describing it as "absolutely terrific". He added: "It's the equivalent of universal grants for students."
Sir Richard Sykes, rector of Imperial College, has criticised not only the low level of fees his institution will be allowed to charge, but that any increase is to be subject to satisfying an external access regulator. He said: "Imperial College's admission policies and procedures are based on academic merit whatever the background of the student. The issue at Imperial, as elsewhere in the UK and abroad, is that of quality of the supply. Universities should not be expected to address problems of schooling, peer pressure and family expectations found in some parts of society."
Sir Alec Broers, vice-chancellor of Cambridge University has admitted that the institution will be "considering" top-up fees, despite the assurances that were made to Cambridge students that such fees were "not under consideration". He said: "Cambridge intends to remain at the forefront of international teaching and research, and to continue to be one of the world's top universities. That means we need to continue to recruit world class academic staff, and for that we need additional resources. We will need to look closely at the proposals to charge higher fees."
Donald MacLeod, The Guardian 22 January
The news that universities will not be allowed to increase their fees until they have drawn up an Access Agreement has been described as "repulsive" by the vice-chancellor of Brunel University. Steven Schwartz is outraged that his institution's attempts to raise money may be thwarted if the Agreement does not meet with the requirements of a newly appointed regulator who will determine whether the university has made every effort to widen participation by non-traditional students. He said: "Choosing to attend a university is determined by family values, role models, school quality, the availability of jobs and the attraction of vocational training. None of these is under university control. This is why the proposal for an access regulator is so repulsive. If student selection and student fees are centrally regulated, it is almost certain that admission decisions will be made for political, not educational, reasons."
Alison Goddard, The THES 24 January
Sir Richard Sykes, Rector of Imperial College London, has responded to the White Paper by saying the maximum fee is not high enough.
Richard Garner, Education Editor,
The Independent 23
January
Comment from opposition leaders:
Damian Green, Conservative shadow education secretary: "We're worried that a manifesto pledge has been thrown out in all but name for the second time. In 1997, they said no fees. In 2001, they said no top-up fees, and here they go. This is the second big betrayal of students."
Phil Willis MP, Liberal Democrat shadow education secretary: "With these proposals, the government has broken countless promises on higher education and betrayed future generations of students."
Polly Curtis, The Guardian 22 January
Doctors and medical academics are disappointed that the White Paper made no mention of the rumoured fee remissions for public-sector workers. Colin Smith, chairman of the British Medical Association's medical academic staff committee, warned that fees could drive students away from medical school which would have a detrimental effect on the NHS.
Claire Sanders, The THES 31 January
A strategy to help business capitalise on university skills and research was set out by Charles Clarke, the Education and Skills secretary, when he published the government's White Paper on Higher Education Reform today (23 January). The strategy includes a five-point Blueprint for Higher Education and Business and also sets out measures to enhance the business benefits from the new student funding system. The Blueprint includes:
Copies of the Future of Higher Education (price £17.50) can be obtained by contacting 0870 600 5533 or emailing orders@theso.co.uk quoting reference number: CM 5735
A summary leaflet with be available from Prolog (0845 6022260 or email dfes@prolog.uk.com) free of charge.
DfES press release 2003/0009
(applies to England) 23
January
Tony Blair has rejected the criticism that the introduction of differential fees for universities will create a two-tier system. Speaking at a Labour Party event, Mr Blair said: "The greatest sadness is when people describe the pursuit of excellence as élitism. It is surely in the nature of things that some parts of a service perform better than others. But it is the oldest and most damaging shibboleth in the left-wing book that levelling down is the route to equality and social justice. In fact, it is excellence within a public service that provides a spur to greater achievement and the levelling up of the whole of the service."
Andrew Grice and Richard Garner,
The Independent 24
January
The HE strategy document has requested that FE colleges work more closely with HE institutions. It revealed that the bulk of the government's expansion plans will be met by an increase in the number of students studying for foundation degrees. HND and HNC qualifications will be subsumed into the foundation degree by 2005 and it is anticipated that FE colleges will assume more responsibility for the provision of sub-degree study. In some cases, funding for such qualifications will come directly from HEFCE. Colleges will also receive funding to develop foundation degrees in collaboration with employers. All of the proposed reforms contained in the White Paper will be implemented as follows:
Higher research category introduced; first knowledge exchanges and centres of teaching excellence named; student guide to universities published; teaching quality academy and leadership foundation established; changes to university title criteria; statutory adjudicator for student complaints and access regulator appointed; grants restored for new students from poor homes; arts and humanities research council created.
More knowledge exchanges and teaching excellence centres named; all new lecturers to be trained; first top-up fees agreed with regulator.
Research assessment revised; performance-related pay introduced; first loan repayments under graduate contributions scheme.
Alison Goddard and Tony Tysome, The THES 24 January
The Mixed Economy Group, which represents around 11% of further education colleges which provide higher education, has expressed concerns that universities may try to "muscle in" to the market for foundation degrees. It would like to see FE colleges which provide HE receiving a proportion of the top-up fees, in recognition of their role in widening access.
Tony Tysome, The THES 31 January
University research departments which are in danger of losing their state funding have been advised to look to business for investment. The HE White Paper, Future of Higher Education, suggests that universities with "non-intensive research roles" are "steered away from basic research to work as consultants to local businesses". The institutions will work closely with Regional Development Agencies to "boost local economies and … become more embedded in regional economies". It says: "We see staff in these institutions creating innovative solutions to real-world problems and needs, rather than themselves making breakthroughs in science or technology." To this end, there will be an extra £500,000 a year for five years added to the Higher Education Innovation Fund. This extra funding will be used to develop a network of 20 Knowledge Exchanges which will be held up as examples of good practice in links between non-research intensive institutions and business. A Knowledge Exchange, which could be made up of either an individual institution or a consortia of HE and FE organisations, must fulfil four criteria:
The first eight Knowledge Exchanges are set to open in 2004-05.
Caroline Davis, The THES 24 January
According to a survey of vice-chancellors, by The THES, over a third will raise fees by the maximum amount permissible on all or the majority of their courses. Almost two-thirds admit that they intend to charge this amount on at least some of their courses. Only one university has said that it will not impose the full fee on any of its courses. Michael Driscoll, vice-chancellor of Middlesex University, said: "It was clear at a meeting of Universities UK last week that the vast majority of universities are moving rapidly towards charging fees at the higher end of the band." Lecturers' union NATFHE believe that universities which do not charge top-up fees run the risk of being viewed as providing a poorer quality of education. A spokesperson for the union said: "When price, whether we like it or not, is taken as a proxy for quality, who wants to advertise that their course is second rate?" The survey also revealed that the introduction of an access regulator is highly unpopular.
Claire Sanders, The THES 31 January
In an astonishing contradiction to yesterday's (30 January) news from the Income Data Services (IDS), [see next column] the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) has announced that those entering the labour market with a degree have never had it so good. The news team at hrlook.com reported yesterday that although graduate salaries are expected to rise, the IDS says that the average increase will be negligible. Furthermore, they predicted that recruitment of graduates is set to slump dramatically. According to IDS research, recruiters who were typically taking on 500 graduates in 2001 on average took on just 17 in 2002, and it added that there was little chance of that situation rectifying itself in 2003. That flies in the face of the AGR's news, which has been released today. They have conducted a survey – based on the responses of many of the UK's largest graduate recruiters – which says that graduate recruitment is set to rise by 7.9% in 2003. They do report a drop in last year's figures, but it is nowhere near the same scale that the IDS claimed. The AGR says recruitment fell by just 6.5% over the last 12 months.
HRLooK 31 January
The Association of Graduate Recruiters tells us that "a significant rise in job vacancies for graduates, coupled with continuing growth in starting salaries", supports the government's arguments for introducing top-up fees. According to the AGR, the number of graduate vacancies has risen by 7.9% this year and the median starting salary is £20,000. AGR warns, however, that this will not necessarily continue to be the case. A spokesperson said: "The modest salary increases predicted by the survey for 2003 show that recruiters no longer feel the need to pay the ever-escalating salaries packages that have been such a feature of the recent graduate recruitment market."
Tony Tysome, The THES 31 January
Female HR practitioners are lagging far behind their male colleagues in the pay stakes, according to the Personnel and Payroll Salary Survey 2002. The survey found that, at senior level, 42% of male HR directors earn £50,000+ per year, compared to just 8% of female directors. The survey report argues that this gap is largely due to the over-representation of women in HR. CIPD adviser Charles Cotton argues, however, that the gap is more likely to be due to the low status of HR activity in a substantial number of organisations.
People Management Online 9 January
"The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled."
Plutarch
The picture emerging from the latest Income Data Services (IDS) survey of graduate pay and progression is one of a depressing slump. Recruitment fell sharply in 2002 and there is little sign that demand will pick up in 2003. The downturn has been stark: an IT company taking on 500 new graduates in 2001 would typically expect to recruit only 17 in 2002. The 17th annual survey, to be published next week (of 3 February), covers 123 major employers across all sectors of the economy. It finds that the downturn in recruitment activity has had a knock-on impact on starting salaries. Key findings are as follows:
HRLook 30 January
In an article for the Fabian Review (to be published in March 2003), Labour Councilor Sally Prentice argues that there needs to be a much more flexible system for paying tuition costs. Ms Prentice believes that introducing a one-size-fits-all system will be unhelpful since students enter university from a variety of financial backgrounds. Instead, she suggests, students should be able to choose a method of payment which suits their needs from a range of options, including paying before, during and after study. Ms Prentice writes: "In our increasingly individualistic and consumerist society, it is simply not possible to meet everyone's needs and preferences with a uniform system. Such an approach sits uneasily with the government's focus on increasing diversity and choice in public services."
Donald MacLeod, The Guardian 14 January
Update comment: I have been deliberately avoiding the subject of top-up fees versus graduate taxes, primarily because most of what I read/report on seems to be refuted the next day by another interested party. I felt that it would be much more productive to wait and see what is actually published, rather than bring you yet more speculation. However, this article caught my eye – mostly, I think, because it seems to have found a middle ground instead of trumpeting one method over another. Dawn.
All water under the bridge now, isn't it? Hazel.
The HE White Paper, the Future of Higher Education, reveals that a national Teaching Quality Academy will be developed by 2004 which will "promote best practice in teaching". Under new measures introduced in the White Paper, all university teachers will be expected to meet stringent professional skills standards and all new recruits must undertake teacher training. The Academy will be formed by a merger of the Institute of Learning and Teaching, the Learning and Teaching Support Network, and the Higher Education Staff Development Agency, and will oversee teaching standards and promote professional development across the sector. The paper says: "Teaching has for too long been the poor relation in higher education", the paper says. "It has been seen by some institutions as an extra source of income to support the main business of research. This is a situation that cannot continue. Institutions must properly reward their best teaching staff, and all those who teach must take their responsibility seriously."
Phil Baty, The THES 24 January
This analytical account by Gareth Parry and Anne Thompson helps to explain the many silences, confusions and ambiguities which have accompanied this policy history over the last 15 years. Written for policy-makers, managers and practitioners seeking to understand the changing context for higher education in the colleges, this authoritative and critical study highlights the continuing power of sector interests in the shaping of contemporary policy and the pursuit of institutional advantage.
This publication is available, free of charge, from the
Learning and Skills Development Agency,
Regent Arcade House, 19-25 Argyll
Street, London W1F 7LS
tel: 020 7297 9144
email:
enquiries@LSDA.org.uk
It is aslo
available to download in .PDF from
www.lsda.org.uk/files/pdf/R1164.pdf
LSDA Briefing January 2003
Academics in Scotland fear that the HE reforms in England will have "major financial consequences" for Scottish universities.
David Caldwell, director of the umbrella body Universities Scotland, said that lecturers and researchers were concerned that the increase in funding would lead to a pay-gap opening up between staff on either side of the border.
Mr Caldwell argued that staff in Scottish universities had been falling behind other professions for some time. He said: "We got away with it in part because exactly the same thing has happened in England, and it is a UK-wide market. But if we face a situation where in England they are able to reward the best teachers and researchers better, we will not be able to get away with it any longer."
Stuart Reid, The Scotsman 23 January
A new report commissioned by the Learning and Skills Council reveals that there are currently more than 60,000 invisible students in higher education. They are invisible participants because their courses of study are not recognised by either funding bodies or the outside world. This was the conclusion of a survey from the Learning and Skills Development Agency, which argued that FE colleges are being undervalued in terms of the role they play in delivering higher education. Findings include:
Ursula Howard, Director of Research, Learning and Skills Development Agency, said: "This area of higher education – "non-prescribed HE" – has until now been seen as peripheral and not a significant area of higher education. But it is vital to building higher level vocational and professional skills, and improving Britain's competitiveness internationally. One of the key findings of our research is the need to raise the profile of further education colleges that provide HE and to clarify the policies over how this kind of work is planned, funded and inspected. We look forward to the anticipated higher profile that HE in FE will play in achieving the 50% participation targets for higher education and the government's support in boosting this area of work."
Non-prescribed higher education: where does it
fit? by Janet Clark is obtainable free of charge from
Information
Services, LSDA Regent Arcade House, 19-25 Argyll Street, London W1F 7LS tel:
020 7297 9144
email: enquiries@LSDA.org.uk
Tony Tysome, The THES 10 January
"Having once decided to achieve a certain task, achieve it at all costs of tedium and distaste. The gain in self-confidence of having accomplished a tiresome labor is immense."
Arnold Bennett
In an article for The Guardian (17 January)
John Sutherland argues that Tony Blair is ignoring the most obvious way to achieve all his hopes for education. He suggests that, by encouraging universities to develop USA-style athletics programmes, Mr Blair could increase participation from non-traditional students, raise investment in institutions and maybe, win a couple of gold medals. Mr Sutherland argues that athletics programmes are one of America's greatest educational success stories. They have raised the academic aspirations of a great many students from non-traditional backgrounds, particularly African-American males. He says: "What one should look at is … the fact that 10% of all (male) American university students are African-American. It is one of the great success stories of American education in the last half-century. Would that Britain had done the same by, for example, its citizens of Afro-Caribbean origin." Mr Sutherland goes on to point out that sports success raises the profile of universities. They are more likely to attract motivated students if they are seen to be committed to achieving sporting prowess. Moreover, competing in televised events such as the Rose Bowl often result in an institution receiving substantial corporate and alumni donations. Mr Sutherland says: "Imagine a situation where soccer scholarships pull in a cohort of previously excluded school leavers (pulling behind them a larger cohort of their soccer-mad peers). And imagine inter-university soccer games are prime-time on Sky Sport (Loughborough 7, Oxford 1). … Imagine college soccer stars going professional on graduation. Imagine, as I say, all this (which is really to imagine what already happens in the US) and ask yourself would the state of English higher education, and (after a decade or so) English professional sport be enhanced or not? They would. And the beauty of it is, it wouldn't cost Gordon Brown a penny. Go for it Tony: you can't lose."
Figures released by UCAS show that the growth of students applying to go to university has slowed significantly. The growth rate for the 2002 intake was just 2.8%, around half the figure recorded for 2001. The figures also show that more students are opting to study nearer to their home, a situation which the NUS claims is due to the fear of accumulating unmanageable debts.
The Guardian 17 January
Edinburgh University is to receive an extra £1 million to help widen access for disabled students as part of a £10 million package for Scottish universities and colleges. The money will be used to help the university to meet the requirements of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001.
The Scotsman 20 January
Vice-chancellors of new universities are warning that changes in funding arrangements may have an adverse affect on pay awards for university teaching staff. From next year, HEFCE will separate institutions specialising in access from the research élite. While the funding council insists that money for teaching will be maintained, vice-chancellors are concerned that this will not actually be the case, since access funding is explicitly for funding students, not rewarding staff. They argue that this will inevitably "transfer teaching funds from universities with poor access records to those that excel at extending in this area". This is in contrast to research-led universities, which have no such restrictions on their funding and are free to spend their extra money on boosting staff pay. Mike Driscoll, vice-chancellor of Middlesex University and incoming chairman of the Coalition of Modern Universities, commented: "It is deeply disappointing. What this means for universities that are not research intensive is there is no money to address basic pay. All the rhetoric of rewarding teaching does not stack up. This is deeply divisive." Universities UK agrees with this analysis, and predicts that the situation can only worsen. UUK calculates that, once special initiatives such as Centres of Excellence, workforce development, strategic-fund development, and foundation degrees are excluded, real-terms funding per student will rise by 0.1% in 2003-04; fall by 1.2% in 2004-05; and fall by 0.6% in 2005-06.
Phil Baty, Claire Sanders and Alison Goddard,
The
THES 31 January
UCAS figures show that Assembly Learning Grants have had a marked effect on Welsh students' choice of university. The number of Welsh students who chose to study at Welsh universities rose by 8.7% from the 2001 figure. Part of the rise may be attributed to students attempting to limit the amount of debt they incur during their studies, and it also seems that the Learning Grant is enabling people from disadvantaged backgrounds to take up higher education if they remain close to home.
The Western Mail 17 January
"Uncertainty over higher education funding in Wales is causing anxiety among vice-chancellors and student leaders", writes Tony Tysome (The THES 31 January). Mr Tysome tells us that Welsh institutions were hoping that there would be some indication in the White Paper of how funding would be resolved. Vice-chancellors have warned that, without a strategy in place, it will be impossible for them to make long-term plans. In response to the vice-chancellors pleas, the Welsh Assembly has promised to increase its efforts to complete negotiations with Westminster over proposals to devolve powers on student funding to Wales.
A new report from Critical Thinking and the Scottish Council Foundation accuses the Scottish Higher Education and Funding Council of offering empty rhetoric when it comes to developing graduate employability programmes. The report, Higher Education: Higher Ambitions?, argues that SHEFCE is too focused on skills shortages and the needs of employers and the economy to see what students themselves want. According to the report students would like careers guidance and opportunities for work experience throughout their degree. If they receive adequate levels of support, it says, "they will make themselves employable". The report goes on to warn about a "major inconsistency" in employer's attitudes which threatens to undermine the entire widening participation policy. It says that employers have not embraced the principles of a diverse graduate population, preferring to recruit young staff from traditional universities. It suggests that employers should be encouraged to recognise that mature students from new universities are as suitable as any other and often have more relevant skills than their younger counterparts.
Olga Wojtas, The THES 24 January
The Institute for Access Studies at Staffordshire University is to undertake research into why students from working-class families drop out of university. It hopes to establish why the UK rate for non-completion of courses is increasing. The project has received an award from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and will publish its findings and recommendations in two years' time.
For more information about the project -
Falling
Down Ladders and Charming Snakes: the meanings and implications of young
working class student drop out from HE: an international participative
study –
contact Dr Jocey Quinn, Institute for Access Studies,
Staffordshire University, Stoke on Trent ST4 2DE
tel: 01782 295741 or
295731
email:
j.t.quinn@staffs
Rodrigo Davies, The Guardian 9 January
Iain Gray, Scotland's enterprise and lifelong learning minister, has ordered the extension of an existing review of higher education issues due for completion by March. University funding was not within the original remit of the review, which is undertaken every four or five years, but it will now be included for the first time. An inside source said: "The view is that we do not have a short-term problem so there is no need to charge ahead with hotheads. But there are concerns about the long term, and this review could perform much the same job as the Cubie committee [set up to suggest alternatives to tuition fees in Scotland] did."
Jason Allardyce, Political Editor,
Scotland on
Sunday 26 January
Michael D Bush, associate professor of French and instructional technology, Brigham Young University
Introducing the concept of standards in educational technology Mr Bush tells of a large area of Baltimore burning to the ground because fire services from neighbouring areas could not attach their hoses to Baltimore's hydrants and the logistical problems of transporting freight and people over railroads with different gauge track. He says: "Yes, the world of educational technology is rapidly moving towards standards, but is this movement the means for averting disaster, or is it in fact a disaster waiting to happen? On the one hand we have the concern that technologists are leading the effort without appropriate concern for valid instructional design principles. On the other, we have predictions of the not-too-distant existence of a "learning ecology" in which documents made up of multiple data types will be created and flow freely among producers and consumers of knowledge, a scenario that is totally unrealistic without the existence of standards at some level". The technologies are seemingly myriad – "an alphabet soup" of IVD, DVD, CD, CD-I etc; .DOC, TXT, .HTML etc document types; then Media Player, Real Player; add the operating system and different Web browsers and you've got a problem without beginning to look at content. The key, however, is not the technology. Don't worry about the size of the pipe but whether "what we send down the pipe might or might not reach its destination in a form that will be usable by those for whom it is intended".
Educational Technology Volume42 Number6
November-December 2002
Update comment: The above was taken from the first page and a half of six and a half pages – with a further three columns of references! I'd like to re-read this article several times and then "translate" it into ADSET'S main area of work – information about learning opportunities.
Judith Christian-Carter writes (Croner Training and Development Briefing Issue No 74 January 2003) of the need, in technology-based training, to be aware of the "f" words. No, she's not using bad language – her words are "feedback" and "function buttons".
Ms Christian-Carter is scathing about the "quick and cheap" approach to the production of e-learning. Good feedback takes longer to program and test than content – the inevitable happens. On "function buttons" it seems that there are two extremes from the minimal "next", "back" and "quit" to programs which present a bewildering array of buttons (surely not all of which are needed on every screen).
In an article for Library and Information Update (January 2003 Volume 2(1)), Ian Winship reports on Northumbria University's decision to use a VLE to present information resources to users. Northumbria University opted to use Blackboard to deliver the VLE since it proved to offer the most flexible approach. As well as offering an entry point to learning and other materials, Blackboard makes good use of a library "portlet" which allows students to track their own resources. Users can also personalise their login page, giving them instant access to the resources they use the most.
For more information about Blackboard, visit:
www.blackboard.com/
Ian Winship is Electronic Services Manager, Learning Resources
Department, Northumbria University
Update comment: More on VLEs which, if you remember from a couple of months ago, are virtual learning environments. Is this a "posh" name for online learning or is a VLE more than online?
Education Secretary Charles Clarke has launched a new package of measures to extend digital learning in schools and colleges over the next three years. Speaking at the BETT show at Olympia, London, he said the measures would "help develop teaching skills and practice across all education sectors, extend access to online digital resources, and continue investment for an effective ICT infrastructure." The measures will include:
Mr Clarke added: "Some people have contested the value of ICT in teaching and learning. I challenge that view. We have spent over £1 billion creating an ICT infrastructure in schools, colleges and libraries, stimulating the content market and training teachers. We are now beginning to reap the rewards for that massive investment as effective use of digital resources in teaching and learning is making a difference to raising standards. We know that a choice of innovative and professional digital resources helps transform classroom practice. That's why I am very pleased to announce that Curriculum Online is now fully open for business. The portal means a revolution in the way teachers can search, compare, select and share digital resources."
URL: www.nc.uk.net
The TES 10 January
Alan Clarke, Senior Development Officer for ICT and Learning at NIACE, believes that, while there may be an enormous amount of interest in e-learning, many people are side-tracked by large-scale projects and expensive programmes. Mr Clarke argues that there are numerous ways in which ICT can be harnessed to assist learning without being the focus of a course of study. He suggests that, for example, digital cameras serve a multitude of purposes, from the study of architecture and horticulture to publicising a course and, provided the equipment is linked to the objective of the programme, they can provide a "stimulating focus" for learners. He argues that tutors who have access to PCs can produce their own resources, from worksheets to interactive learning products. Online resources such as quizzes and message boards can open up channels for communication as, indeed, can email discussion lists and e-conferencing.
Mr Clarke says: "For many tutors, I suspect that the idea of a large-scale implementation of e-learning is quite intimidating. They may lack understanding, confidence or simply time to attempt the task. However, small-scale efforts are relatively straightforward. They require only a modest investment in time and can provide a very rewarding experience for tutors and learners."
Adults Learning Volume 14 Number 5 January 2003
Erkki Liikanen, the European commissioner for enterprise and information society, set out his [Directorates?] eEurope 2005 Action Plan at the recent IST 2002 conference in Copenhagen. The plan's outline concentrates on five areas comprising e-government, e-health and e-learning, e-business, broadband/Pv6, and security of networks and information.
e.learning age December/January 2003
Update comment: Could he fit any more "e" areas in? How about the "e-meaning-of-the-universe"?
The government today (10 January) approved the BBC's application for a licence-fee funded digital curriculum service. The service will comprise interactive online learning materials in support of the school curriculum and will be available via the Internet.
Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said: "I have approved the application, and have attached specific conditions to the approval to ensure that the service makes a positive contribution to a varied and competitive industry in education software."
The TES 10 January 2003
"Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not."
George Bernard Shaw
The BBC's application to use £150 million of licence-fee-payers' money to launch Digital Curriculum has been heavily criticised by an independent research body which investigated the BBC's submission. NERA, an independent economic consultancy, commissioned by the Digital Learning Alliance, has examined the submission and has concluded that its submission is fundamentally flawed. NERA concluded that the document, written by PriceWaterHouseCoopers, (PwC), "cannot be credible because it sidesteps the main issue", namely that the BBC would be supplying its services free. By not placing this issue at the heart of PwC's analysis, NERA questions the validity of the PwC report and its ability to fully assess the impact the BBC would have on the industry. NERA also found that:
British Educational Suppliers Association press release 16 July 2002
Update comment: Dawn dug this up from the archive in the light of the decision to support the BBC's production of the Digital Curriculum.
The BBC is to come under further external scrutiny after the government attached a set of stringent conditions to its approval for the corporation's plans to offer online educational services for schools. The government said its approval for the BBC's digital curriculum, a package of materials to support the national curriculum, contained "the strongest ever series of conditions". These were designed to allay fears among commercial educational software suppliers that the BBC would drive out private investment by entering the market, using £150 million of licence fee money over five years. It followed an earlier set of conditions attached to the approval for the BBC's youth television channel to be launched next month and the decision in October to allow external regulators to fine the corporation for breaches of standards and production quotas. Tessa Jowell, the culture secretary, detailed 18 requirements on the digital curriculum including obligations to exploit the BBC archives, promote technological experimentation, adherence to prior commissioning plans and a strict quota on its involvement in core national curriculum subjects. The service will face an independent review in two years and the BBC has already committed to spend £45 million over five years on content from independent suppliers.
Ms Jowell said the conditions took into account the intense lobbying efforts of commercial suppliers: "There is room for everyone. These conditions will prevent the BBC from dominating this market, but it's right that it should play a important role in a competitive and growing market for digital learning resources." However, commercial suppliers said the constraints were insufficient to ensure balanced partnership between the private and public sectors and the approval would therefore reduce choice for schools. Dominic Savage of the Digital Learning Alliance, which includes Granada, Heinemann and Pearson, owner of the Financial Times, said he was "bitterly disappointed" with the government's decision. "I'm staggered it's as bad as this. The BBC should have been steered into complementary rather than competitive areas," he said. "Most of the constraints are what the BBC put in its own application." Research Machines, another member of the DLA, has already instigated a judicial review of the digital curriculum and the resources the BBC has committed to it. The review is expected to be heard at the end of the month. Mr Savage yesterday said the DLA would decide whether to launch its own legal action after studying the government's decision in detail. Caroline Thompson, the BBC's director of public policy, said constraints on the corporation's ability to commercially exploit its services through BBC Worldwide, its commercial arm, were particularly tough.
Gautam Malkani, Media Correspondent,
Financial Times
9 January
Educational publishers, including Granada and Channel 4, have expressed deep disappointment at the news that the BBC has been given the go-ahead to introduce a digital curriculum. The decision by culture secretary Tessa Jowell to permit the BBC to develop an interactive learning platform has angered commercial operators, who are not convinced that the conditions attached to the agreement will protect an open market. The restrictions include:
Ms Jowell insisted that adding such stringent conditions to the proposal would be enough to prevent the BBC from gaining a "disproportionate" advantage in the sector. She also dismissed claims that the BBC would dominate the market, saying that digital learning resource development is a "rapidly expanding" industry and that there is "room for everyone". Unfortunately, the Digital Learning Alliance, which represents commercial education software operators is not convinced. Phil Hemmings, director of educational software company Research Machines (RM), commented: "We don't think she has listened to the industry at all and we are seriously considering whether the process she embarked on can be said to be a fair and decent one. … If they think the industry will be happy with a set of fairly loose extra constraints a la BBC3 and bit of extra money, then they'll have underestimated the depth of feeling."
Dominic Timms, The Guardian 13 January
RM, the listed educational software specialist, is to lead a High Court action against the BBC, to challenge the corporation's plans to provide free material to schools under the "digital curriculum". The judicial review will hear claims from RM and more than a dozen other software companies that the government's award of the contract to the BBC followed improper procedures at the corporation. If successful, the groups may then take the government to court. A spokesperson for RM said: "By approving the digital curriculum the government is effectively sanctioning a single, state-controlled provider of digital learning content."
Saeed Shah, The Independent 27 January
"There are two types of people – those who come into a room and say, "Well, here I am!" and those who come in and say, "Ah, there you are.""
Frederick L Collins
Adult Learning Minister Ivan Lewis is keen to reassure providers of adult and community learning (ACL) that, despite the fact that guaranteed funding from the Learning and Skills Council to LEAs is ending, there are "no plans" to remove the sector from LEA jurisdiction. He also offers his assurances that, no matter what future developments there may be for ACL, the sector will retain its "breadth of purpose". He says: "I would not want to see it develop a narrower skills or economic focus – even though ACL often does play an important role in helping people up the ladder towards skills and employment. I am committed to retaining the distinctive role of ACL, from fostering social inclusion to learning for leisure." Mr Lewis insists, however, that this does not mean that the government will be "soft on quality and standards". He maintains that all learners are "entitled to the same quality and accountability of provision", regardless of the level of learning they pursue or the outcome they seek. Efforts to ensure parity of provision will include:
Mr Lewis says: "For me, ACL has to be central to our aim to ensure that every individual experiences the dignity of self-improvement which is still denied to far too many people and is part of ensuring that lifelong learning is enshrined in the culture of every community in every part of our country."
Adults Learning Volume 14 Number 5 January 2003
Update comment: Yet another statement from government "there are no plans to …" which could mean "I haven't publicly formulated the plans as yet".
This is a section from the second part of In Demand: Adult skills in the 21st century, published by the Strategy Unit. It sets workforce development in the wider context of government policy and maps out an action plan for the development of policy up to 2010. This section discusses the wider context: how the flow of skilled people into the workforce must be promoted.
URL: www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/innovation/2002/wfd/report/
Skills and Learning Intelligence Quarterly Bulletin – Volume 7 January 2003
Clifton Chadwick, Vice-president (research), Cambridge Consulting Corporation
The computer will revolutionise education, the information super highway will provide young people (and others) with all the answers. Thus the experts over the last twenty years. However, Mr Chadwick likens the computer to other tools. It's only a tool and, in some ways, less likely to achieve the end than previous tools which were set to revolutionise education. For, with greater access to information comes a greater need to be able to know the meaning and value of the information and how to use it appropriately. The argument is that not only are computers providing access to a wide range of information previously unavailable but that computers do not help students develop creativity, perspicacity, or judgement which are, surely, what education is all about.
Educational Technology Volume 42 Number 5
September-October 2002
ISSN: 0013-1962
Update comment: Perspicacity – an archaic word meaning ingenuity but it is what the man said! I was fascinated. You'll need to get hold of a copy of this subscription journal to read the whole thing as I really haven't the mental capability to set out the arguments for you. Hazel.
Health and education organisations have teamed up to launch a national campaign, which aims to improve toilet and drinking water facilities in schools. The Bog Standard Campaign is a project of the Enuresis Resource & Information Centre (ERIC), the Community Practitioners and Health Visitors Association (CPHVA) and School Councils UK. A survey by CPHVA school nurses is underway and the results will be used to lobby the government for improved toilets and drinking water facilities for pupils. The current legislation fails to address standards that are relevant to pupils in schools. There is also a growing catalogue of evidence of short and long term health problems (both physical and psychological) that impact on children's health and learning due to substandard toilet and drinking water facilities. In addition, many pupils are unwilling to use the facilities because toilets are frequented by bullies and smokers as a haven from the gaze of staff. This intimidation, along with the lack of privacy and access is causing many pupils to avoid using toilets at school completely. School Councils UK is calling on pupils to highlight inadequate facilities and work with headteachers to improve them. It claims that the state of school toilets has a significant effect on a school's ethos and educational attainment.
School Councils UK press release – 22 January
Following the news that a fifteen-year-old girl is taking her local education authority to court, claiming that detentions are a breach of her human rights, Scottish education authorities are anticipating a judgement in her favour. Four authorities have banned detentions outright and a further three have introduced a policy which requires teachers to obtain permission from parents before they detain children outside normal school hours. These decisions have angered teaching unions in Scotland. Bill Fitzpatrick, former president of the Scottish Secondary Teachers Association, said: "It is high time we started taking parents of the most unruly pupils through the courts ourselves."
Paul Kelbie, Scotland Correspondent,
The Independent
7 January
Excessive parental demands are not limited to Scotland. Staff at the Pacific Palisades High School in California are being sued by parents who want their children's failing grades changed to passing grades, even though those children were absent 15 to 30 times during the semester and did not complete enough schoolwork to pass their classes. Teachers have now implemented a policy requiring students and parents to be responsible for their children's absences and missing homework. When asked what they wanted to record on their school telephone answering service, they came up with the following message: "Hello! You have reached the automated answering service of your school. In order to assist you in connecting to the right staff member, please listen to all your options before making a selection:
If you realise this is the real world and your child must be accountable and responsible for his/her own behaviour, class work, homework, and that it's not the teachers' fault for your child's lack of effort, hang up and have a nice day!"
The Scotsman 8 January
Article reproduced in full
with permission from Rosie Free, deputy education editor at the
Scotsman
Alan Wells, director of the Basic Skills Agency, tells us that schools must offer classes to parents in how to play games, and have a conversation, with their children. Mr Wells argues that children entering schools at the age of four or five are "less articulate and less able to express themselves" than previous generations and that the situation is getting worse. Mr Wells also condemned the misuse of national tests for primary school children arguing that they are no longer being used to assess national education standards, but are used as a criteria for judgmental parents to decide where to place their offspring. He went on to criticise the government obsession with target setting, saying that it is "the equivalent of pig iron production in the Soviet Union".
Richard Garner, Education Editor,
The Independent 9
January
A local authority in Scotland has called for Christianity and Christian religious observance to be given a greater priority in non-denominational schools. East Renfrewshire Council warns that the assumption that children are taught about Christianity in the home is misguided. It claims that schools place more emphasis on other religions, believing that children are already aware of Christianity when this is simply not the case. The Rev Angus Kerr, Church of Scotland representative on the council, commented: "It is important that there are spiritual aspects within school life because I don't believe that spirituality is being taught any more in the home where it used to be. There is no doubt that those supporting, working in, and sending their children to, denominational schools have an expectation that religious observance will take place. In non-denominational schools, the place of religious observance is less secure and needs to be confirmed nationally in policy."
Elizabeth Buie, Scottish Herald 22 January
Amey, one of the key firms in a £360 million Edinburgh Public Private Partnership scheme, has sold off part of its stake in the project because of spiralling debts. Under the partnership, Amey had been entrusted with "building, refurbishing and maintaining education establishments". While council officials have been keen to stress that the "unexpected change of ownership" will have no effect on PPP schools, the news has caused considerable concern among Scottish opposition politicians. Liberal Democrat education spokesman Jim Lowrie said: "This is a bombshell. It's a very serious situation which illustrates how little control we have over this PPP project."
The Scotsman 23 January
A report from the Audit Commission reveals that schools built using private finance are not cheaper, better or completed more quickly than those built by councils. The report, PFI in Schools, says that the Private Finance Initiative "has resulted in cramped classrooms and poor heating, lighting and acoustics". Dick Waite, senior researcher at the Audit Commission, warned the government that, on the evidence so far, he would not recommend that local education authorities be compelled to use PFI to build new schools.
Jill Sherman, Whitehall Editor, Times Online 16 January
Tony Newman, Barnado's, Cardiff
In less than a decade, children who provide care for ill or disabled parents and siblings have become a major target of social welfare [and Connexions?] services. "Young carers" suffer, it is suggested, from a degradation in mental and physical health, have damaged educational careers, restricted social networks, and will suffer long-term consequences in adult life as a result of their childhood caring role. This paper argues that limited empirical evidence exists for these claims and that, where legitimate concerns arise, they are frequently related to poverty, social exclusion, and unsupported or inadequate parenting, and have no direct relationship to illness or impairment. While dedicated services to young carers have made a valuble contribution in highlighting an important social issue, a radical reviw of their place in the overall structure of support services is long overdue.
Disability and Society Vol 17 No 6 2002 pp 613-625 ISSN 0968-7599 (print) 1360-0508 (online)
Update comment: Is this a chicken and egg question? OK, so the degradation suffered is due to poverty, social exclusion etc rather than the parent's illness. But does not, in many cases, the parent's illness create, or play a large part in creating the poverty?
Young disabled people want to have the opportunity to make the same choices as their non-disabled peers – but they need support to do so and barriers need to be removed. This was the conclusion of the DRC's 2002 National Conference, Achieving Aspirations, Improving Young Disabled People's Choices. The sell-out event brought together young people, decision makers and education practitioners to focus on young disabled people achieving their aspirations across all areas of life. Keynote speakers included Maria Eagle MP, the Minister for Disabled People, and Olympic Gold medallist Tanni Grey Thompson. It was a lively and participatory event with workshops, debate and a question time.
The conference post-event report is at www.drc-b.org/drc/Documents/Conference2002Feedback.doc
Disability Rights Commission
Email Bulletin no. 14
January 2003
The drive to "inclusive" schooling was stepped up in Scotland with publication of a draft Bill to reform special educational needs. The Bill, entitled the Additional Support for Learning Bill, will give significant new powers to parents. Introducing the Bill, Scottish Education Minister Cathy Jamieson argued that the legislation would be a "move away from the often stigmatising definition of special educational needs, which is sometimes seen to mark out a small number of children". She said: "With the broader concept of additional support needs, it provides a wider framework to support those who might be facing barriers to learning, for whatever reason and at whatever time in their school education."
Neil Munro, The TES 17 January
The DRC recently hosted a debate, Getting in or getting on?, as part of its Educating for Equality campaign. The debate posed questions about what we mean by equal opportunities for disabled people in education. It also looked at some of the issues in the education system which impact on disabled people. Over 70 key education stakeholders were invited to the event including representatives from trade unions, the business community and disabled people's organisations. Peter White, the BBC Disability Correspondent, chaired the event. Speeches were followed by questions and comments from the audience.
If you wish to obtain a copy of the transcript of the event, please email campaigns@drc-gb.org. A tape recording of the event will be available on the DRC Website shortly.
Disability Rights Commission
Email Bulletin no. 14
January 2003
Geoff Ruggeri Stevens, Brighton Business School
This article reports a foundation survey of the extent of employment of disabled people in these sectors of industry – transportation, IT and financial services – in two UK counties, identifies which specific disabilities and limitations on personal skills are seen by employers as the greatest impediments to employment, proposes a new model for analysis by using a modification of established recording models, and provides a springboard for further work. The survey reported here was based on structured interviews with personnel officers conducted by telephone. No separate question was devoted to invitation of free comment, but the interview delivery of the questionnaire normally led to a general discussion of the issues raised, and some typical quotes and comments from respondents are included in the results.
Disability and Society Vol 17 No 7 December 2002
Today (29 January) sees the launch of a new committee the sole purpose of which is to break down the employment barriers experienced by disabled people in their search for work. The Disability Employment Advisory Committee (DEAC) has been established to advise the Department for Work and Pensions on the problems faced in the labour market by disabled people, and to develop recommendations to overcome them.
The DEAC is made up of people from leading companies, trade unions, organisations of and for disabled people, and providers of services for disabled people. Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the DEAC, Maria Eagle, Minister for Disabled People, welcomed the new body: "Disabled people must be able to live in an inclusive society where they have the same opportunities as everyone else," she stated. "Extending employment opportunities to disabled people is key. I am confident that the expert advice provided by the newly appointed members of the DEAC will help us ensure that disabled people get the most appropriate and effective support they need to get – and keep – jobs." Chair of the DEAC, Sally Witcher, a freelance consultant researcher, commented: "Disabled people have a wealth of skills and talents to contribute to the labour market and it is vital that we all work together to remove the barriers that stand in their way." The DEAC has set out four clear objectives:
HRLook 29 January
Annette Lareau, Temple University
An extremely interesting look at the dynamics of family life as these are affected by both class and race. I'll come back and read it properly next month (says me hopefully but with not much expectation). The main finding is that it is social class that very largely, determines the intrafamily interactions but that race plays a part in the external relationships.
American Sociological Review Vol 67 No 5 October 2002
Update comment: I'll try (or rather, ask Dawn to try) finding an alternative source of articles for purchase now that Northern Light is no longer available to us.
The Commission for Racial Equality has shocked the Scottish National Party by refusing to support moves to give Gaelic "secure status" in law. Michael Russell, the SNP's education spokesperson said that he found this decision "astonishing" since the CRE already has an accord with the Welsh Language Board, the body which works to establish equality between Welsh and English in public affairs in Wales. The CRE accord states that it will work with the Welsh Language Board to prevent discriminatory practices which "work against racial and linguistic harmony". Mike Conboy, acting head of the CRE in Scotland, argued that the private members bill which seeks to give Gaelic secure status would be "potentially damaging to race relations". He said: "While the CRE supports the promotion of minority languages and culture, we are concerned that establishing a basis of equality between the English and Gaelic languages is a far-reaching objective which could send out an unhelpful message in terms of race relations. The Scottish Parliament's priority should be to help those minorities which feel excluded from public life and that is not the case with Gaels since few are unable to communicate effectively in English."
Neil Munro, The TESS 24 January
The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) commissioned the polling company NOP to interview 305 young disabled people aged 16-24 during October and November 2002. All of those questioned said that their disability/impairment limited their daily activities in some way:
Disability Rights Commission
Email Bulletin no. 14
January 2003
Trevor Phillips, the new chair of the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE), believes that teachers are influenced by race when it comes to the way they deal with unruly pupils. He argues that white boys need to be "nutters" to be expelled while black pupils are excluded all too easily. He called on the CRE to work with OfSTED to ensure that schools are complying with the Race Relations Act.
Michael Shaw and Karen Thornton, The TES 24 January
A study which looked at ethnicity and feedback reports on 420 local government managers has concluded that local authority managers are in danger of contravening race equality laws. The study, commissioned by the Improvement and Development Agency, shows that bosses' performance ratings of ethnic minority senior and middle managers were lower than the ratings given by peers and direct reports. In contrast, there were few discrepancies between the appraisals for white managers. Juliette Alban-Metcalfe, research projects manager at Leadership Research and Development, which conducted the study, said that bosses were "being discriminatory and failing to give ethnic minority managers feedback on performance". She commented: "Under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, local government organisations have a duty to address the race equality issue. This finding about bosses and feedback has major implications because it is a barrier to career progression and equal treatment. If local government organisations don't do anything about it they could be contravening the Act."
Eila Rana, People Management Online 23 January
In an article for The Guardian (14 January),
Phil Revell tells us that there is at least one target the government doesn't have to worry about hitting. Despite the accusation from the Stephen Lawrence inquiry that institutionalised racism is a major problem in British society, it seems that increasing the number of ethnic minority teachers and headteachers is not viewed as being worthy of a target. Moreover, Mr Revell divulges that there are no figures available which tell us how many black and Asian teachers there are currently working in UK schools. Steps have been taken to attempt to address this lack of data. However, it seems likely that there will be no comprehensive picture of the ethnicity of UK teachers until 2006.
Jesse Walker, of American magazine Reason, "interviews" Mickey about his continued captivity under the Supreme Court-approved Copyright Term Extension Act.
URL: www.reason.com/links/links011703.shtml
Neat New Stuff I Found This Week – 23 January
© Marylaine Block, 1999-2002
John Twing reports (Educa No 224 June 2002) on research into the growing learning centre movement, with insights provided by comments from learning centre managers as well as from survey evidence. In early 2002 Guildford Educational Services Ltd, under contract to the Learning and Skills Development Agency, undertook research into various aspects of the growing learning centre movement. The "Holy Grail" scenario has been sought since the Open Tech Programme of the mid-1980s. This says that, for centre-based open learning: "if learners are motivated, good learning material is available, and generalist mentor support is at hand, (almost) anyone can learn (almost) anything in (almost) any learning centre". The article covers, in addition to comment on the Holy Grail:
The full report, Learning Centres Revisited is available at www.learningtechnologies.ac.uk
A major package of funding to support union-led learning in Wales has been announced by Jane Davidson, Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning today (13 January). The funding of more than £1.4 million for Wales TUC Learning Services will run to March 2006 and aims to strengthen the ability of unions to develop partnerships to extend access to education and raise skills for the benefit of both employees and employers.
Welsh Assembly press release 13 January
A new report from the Prisoners' Learning and Skills Unit has called for an entitlement to education to be embedded in all prison sentences. The Unit would like to see prisoners receive an initial assessment at the beginning of their sentence, and for them to be placed on a programme of study which would continue after release. This would be achieved by developing links with local FE colleges which would support ex-prisoners who are learning in the community. A spokesperson for teaching union NATFHE welcomed the recommendations but also said that the union had some reservations about how they would be put into practice. The spokesperson said that NATFHE is particularly concerned about who will assume responsibility for the courses, saying: "education professionals rather than prison governors should be ultimately responsible for education programmes and targets."
Rodrigo Davies, The Guardian 9 January
Mary Prince, director of marketing and student recruitment at City of Westminster College, has condemned the obsession with the under-19s in further education. She points out that there are currently around 2.9 million adults in FE, making up 83% of all LSC-funded enrolments. These adult learners enjoy overall achievement rates of around 75%. Ms Prince argues that, by concentrating on the standards achieved by 14 to 19-year-olds, the government has missed out on a great opportunity to "counteract the poor performance tag that has dogged the sector for some time". She says: "There is a serious lack of real knowledge and understanding about the student cohort and range of work undertaken by further education. Researching the profile that further education has with the popular press last year produced damning evidence. With the exception of [The Guardian], and, to a lesser extent, the Independent, the national press clearly had little idea about what further education colleges did. This did not prevent the Daily Telegraph from pronouncing it "the least successful sector in education".
The Guardian 20 January
Update comment: If the sectors being compared are primary, secondary, further and higher then you're not comparing like with like. In fact, as I heard someone say the other day, "it's not just trying to compare apples with pears when you should be analysing fruit – it's comparing apples with chairs!"
The adult basic skills strategy unit at the DfES has commissioned the Learning and Skills Development Agency to carry out a research and development project on dyslexia in partnership with NIACE – the national organisation for adult learning. The project will gather together existing research on how to support adults with dyslexia, carry out a survey of learning providers, conduct seminars, identify different approaches to teaching and learning, publish case studies and materials, promote good practice and advise teachers on how to support students with dyslexia.
For more information, contact Judith Woodlock by email
at: jwoodlock@LSDA.org.uk.
LSDA
Briefing January 2003
The Local Government Association (LGA) has warned the government that it risks a "Criminal Records Bureau-style debacle" if it permits Educational Maintenance Allowances to be managed by a private firm, rather than LEAs. Graham Lane, Labour education chairman of the LGA, argues that town hall officials are best placed to administer the scheme, and urges the government to remember what happened the last time a private company managed a government fund. ILAs anyone?
The TES 10 January
Contents of Volume 5 Issue 1 January-March 2003 are as follows:
The integration of modern ICTs into the teaching/learning process has great potential to enhance learning. In addition, ICTs, although expensive, may be the best investment to make acceptable levels of learning affordable for all students anywhere.
Brain research is beginning to shed light on fundamental questions about human learning. This article highlights recent research on the brain and its implications for education, learning and technology.
This article reviews the effectiveness of technology-based instruction in terms of instructional effectiveness, time savings, cost reduction, individualisation, and student attitudes.
As technology becomes more and more ubiquitous and affordable, e-learning carries the greatest potential to train masses in the developing world in anything and everything; e-learning can and will revolutionise learning in the Southern Hemisphere.
Earth Odyssey is a field ecology outreach program in which students explore the biological diversity of their environment. The goal of this program is to use technology to promote critical thinking through the natural sciences.
The Intergeneration Program and the New Technologies is a program where young students tutor the older generation at computer and Internet skills while at the same time learning from them a chapter of their personal history.
The Pew Foundation has been funding a coordinated effort to see if universities can increase the effectiveness of their large introductory courses while reducing the instructional costs. Three rounds of grants have been awarded, with ten colleges and universities receiving awards in each round. Final reports are in from the first round. What do the results indicate?
This article summarises three research papers published in the past two years on the use of interactive television for distance higher education. Two of the papers look at consumer satisfaction from the students' and the faculty's perspective; the third, assesses course effectiveness.
This article describes ways by which developing countries and policy makers can reform education to equip people to deal with the new challenges of a global knowledge-based economy.
Update comment: A particularly interesting issue this quarter. Telephone 01536 410500 or email info@adset.org.uk and I'll photocopy my 80-page document in return for £3.50 in postage stamps! Hazel.
A House of Commons public accounts committee report on public sector Websites, published on 13 December, has stressed the importance of keeping information up to date, after discovering various examples of incorrect, inaccurate and out-of-date content. For example, on the UK online Website, the Budget was described a "hot topic".
E-Government Bulletin – Issue 128 10 January
Update comment: And the UfI/learndirect site is still telling people to go to their library and/or local careers service office to find out about funding for learning through using FunderFinder, MoneySearch or Inspire programs. You may know that MoneySearch disappeared about two years ago and that the company behind Inspire went into bankruptcy some four years ago!
The European Commission has pulled the plug on a project to create a vast pan-European information exchange for local and regional government, after it failed to produce a working prototype within an acceptable period of time. The EUSlanD initiative (European system for local authorities' networking domain), initiated in January 2000, was intended to be a "multilingual index to information sources and case studies" which would help local authorities across Europe exchange knowledge and experience. The project was hampered by a series of delays, and failed to produce a working prototype acceptable to the commission. Following a final investigation the commission finally pulled the plug last month.
E-Government Bulletin Issue 128 10 January
The Small Business Service (SBS) has published a strategy document entitled Small Business and Government: The Way Forward. It sets out the overall strategic direction of government support for small businesses, with the overall aim "to accelerate the drive to make the UK the best place to start and grow a business by 2005". There are seven core themes to the strategy:
This is a short document that outlines the overall strategic direction rather than setting out any operational details.
Further information is available from the Small Business Service Website www.sbs.gov.uk
SSDA INTELLIGENCE Newsletter Issue 7: January 2003
Microsoft has announced that it will pay shareholders dividends on their investments for the first time in its history. John Connors, chief financial officer at Microsoft, said that there were two reasons behind this decision. First, Microsoft had enjoyed continued growth throughout the downturn in the technology industry and, secondly, the resolution of a number of legal cases has meant that Microsoft will not have to set aside as much money as it thought to cover legal costs. It is estimated that the payout will cost Microsoft around $870 million. This may sound like quite a lot of money to you or I. However, in the three months to the end of December, the software corporation saw its revenues rise by a tenth to $8.54 billion.
Infoconomy Bulletin 24 January
Figures released from the Office for National Statistics reveal that the UK has plunged into a "record trade deficit" for the second month in a row. Demand for British exports fell so drastically that the deficit has widened from £3.63 billion in October to £3.98 billion in November, the highest since records began.
Philip Thornton, Economics Correspondent,
The
Independent 11 January
In a feature article for TrainingZONE LearningWIRE (Issue 238 13 January), Robert C Ginnett PhD, Senior Fellow at the Center for Creative Leadership, asks why there is still a great deal of misunderstanding between the terms "management" and "leadership". He tells us that, while the words are commonly used in any discussion of organisational practice, they are frequently interchanged as though they both mean the same thing. Mr Ginnett believes that there are fundamental differences between a manager and a leader. The purpose of a manager, he argues, is to control his/her organisation. The purpose of a leader is more "value-laden", involving creativity and risk-taking. He says: "Some have said, leadership is about doing the right things and management is about doing things right." Mr Ginnett argues, however, that organisations need both leaders and managers to achieve their full potential. He adds: "[I was once] asked the following question: Which would you say is most important: leadership or management? After a pause to consider both the question and its implications, I responded with this question: What do you think is more important: breathing in or breathing out?"
World Chambers Network, a Paris-based trade service for chambers of commerce, has launched an online search engine to help businesses research markets overseas. Users of the Website can complete a free customised search form which will give them access to a database of articles, reports and documents relating to their query. They may then purchase the full text of any article they wish.
URL:
www.worldchambers.com
managinginformation.com 3 January
Microsoft has announced that it is ceasing support for the Windows 95 operating system.
Update comment: Is anyone still using it? YES! Lots of people are. The main advantage is that, because it's now considered "old hat", the virus writers ignore it! And many of the games won't run on anything higher than 98 anyway.
Not sure what the difference between a hacker and a cracker is, or a "white hat" and a "black hat"? Confused by some of the jargon or high-tech terms in articles about Internet fraud?
Take a look at the excellent Cybercrime Glossary at:
URL:
www.techtv.com/cybercrime/aboutus/story/0,23008,3363041,00.html
Internet Scambusters Issue 58 17 January
BT has lowered the customer levels required for upgrading to ADSL for 388 exchanges, a move it says will boost broadband use. It will also set trigger levels for 87 exchanges which, up till now, had not been allocated one. Upgrade work will begin immediately at 22 exchanges. Paul Reynolds, BT Wholesale chief executive, said: "Our growing experience of the work involved now allows us to be confident in lowering many of the demand levels at which we will upgrade exchanges."
Dinah Greek, vnunet.com
TheITportal News Roundup
27th January
Multimedia messaging (MMS) will not live up to European mobile phone operators' expectations in terms of the revenue it will generate, a study concludes. Research published by Datamonitor, the market analysis company, warns that European consumers have been slow in taking up MMS services. "Consumer readiness for advanced mobile services is nowhere near where it needs to be," said Richard Clifford, Datamonitor's mobility analyst. "MMS will not be as much a mass market thing as people make out." Mobile phone buyers continued to be more interested in features such as weight and battery life.
Maija Pesola, Financial Times 26 January
A new campaign from the DTI is warning consumers about expensive text, fax and email scams. Recipients are duped into telephoning premium rate lines by a variety of means. Unsolicited texts encourage people to phone to find out who has registered a romantic interest in them. Others suggest that they can tell users how to reduce the cost of mobile phone calls and Internet charges. Yet another asks hotels and restaurants to send menus or brochures through premium rate fax lines. The Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services (ICSTIS) strongly advises that people register with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) and the Fax Preference Service (FPS) to avoid this kind of unsolicited contact. Registration can be completed online at:
TPS – www.tpsonline.org.uk
FPS – www.fpsonline.org.uk
Advice for anyone who has been the victim of such a scam
is available online at:
http: //www2.dti.gov.uk/ccp/topics1/unsolicited.htm
Library and Information Update January 2003 Volume 2(1)
Mobile ringtones may have been dismissed as a passing fad. However, they have still managed to clock up more than £600 million in revenue for the record industry. It seems that, while traditional record buying is in decline, young fans are still willing to part with a couple of pounds of their money for a 30 second tinny burst of a hit tune, rather than spend the same amount on a CD single.
Adam Sherwin, Media Reporter, Times Online 16 January
Some of Britain's most well-known companies have been accused of "wasting millions of pounds on useless redesigns of their corporate Websites". A survey from Porter Research found that, among the FTSE 100, 16 sites are so bad they should be removed immediately and several others have actually succeeded in making their Websites more difficult to navigate than before. Companies which received the harshest criticism include Severn Trent, Next and Alliance Unichem. Adrian Porter of Porter Research commented: "A third of FTSE 100 companies have redesigned their sites, which shows they are beginning to take the medium seriously. But the majority are still wallowing in mediocrity."
Jon Ashworth, Times Online 6 January
It's not often that we have occasion to bring you an article from Saga Magazine. However, in the January 2003 edition, Alexander Chancellor has some interesting thoughts on the Internet, written from the perspective of an older user. He argues that there is a growing army of "ordinary" users who have the "techno-élitists" on the run. He says that, in the early days of online activity, "unpleasant, cocksure people tried to hijack the new medium for an exclusive new culture that would frighten off people like you and me". Unfortunately for them, he says, it is difficult for them to debar everyone else when "they have been swamped by the likes of my mother-in-law who, at the age of 88, likes using email just as if it were the Royal Mail". Mr Chancellor points out, however, that there is still a gulf between the language of experts and the language of the ordinary user. He says that IT specialists still "conspire to confuse and humiliate us, as anyone who has used a computer helpline knows". Making the words that are used to describe technical accoutrements more readily understandable to the user is, he says, "the greatest challenge of the future".
Labour MP Deborah Shipley has called on credit card companies to name and shame clients who use their credit cards to purchase child pornography over the Internet. She also wants companies to alert police to Websites which accept credit card payments for such material. Her comments come as Scotland Yard is reported to be working its way through some 7,200 names given to the by US detectives who unscrambled the credit card numbers of subscribers to a pay-per-view Web service. She said: "I think [credit card companies] should take responsibility now and the media should investigate these banks and ask them what they are doing, and those that fail to block sites, the media should name them and anyone who has got that credit card should cut it up and show how they feel about it."
Helen Puttick, Scottish Herald 15 January
If pop-up ads are the bane of your life then you may be interested to know that they are little more than the tip of the iceberg as far as dirty advertising tricks are concerned. An article in .net (January 2003) offers a list of some of the more annoying "weapons" Website owners have at their disposal. These include:
For a look at these and other tricks, .net advises you to visit The Trix Scripts Website <www.trixscripts.com>. This is an online store which sells hundreds of malicious scripts to Website owners so that they can dupe surfers into visiting pay-per-click adsites. Forewarned is forearmed.
Internet Scambusters has issued a warning to anyone who uses online auction sites such as eBay. Anyone who is purchasing expensive goods is advised by auction sites to use an escrow system, whereby a neutral third party takes receipt of payment until both parties are satisfied with goods they have purchased. The escrow company then takes a percentage of the total price for the service. However, reports are emerging of escrow companies working in partnership with bogus auctioneers. When you send your money to the escrow company, you are effectively sending it to a scammer who will pocket your money and disappear, leaving you with no recourse. Internet Scambusters advises that, to avoid being duped by phoney escrow companies, you should:
Internet Scambusters Issue 58 17 January
The Patent Office has issued online guidance notes for UK businesses. The Patent Office says that it is working to implement the Directive as soon as possible, and certainly by the end of March, and that any rumours of a later implementation date are unfounded, as it has made no such statement.
The guidelines can be accessed at: www.patent.gov.uk/copy/notices/guidance2.htm
managinginformation.com 9 January
CILIP has welcomed the delay to the implementation of the EU Copyright Directive. Barbara Stratton, CILIP's Adviser on Copyright and Information Development commented: "CILIP is pleased the Patent Office is taking enough time for full consideration of all the responses, especially in the light of the technical complexity of the legislation – and given that the EU had allowed less time than usual for implementation of a directive."
Library and Information Update January 2003 Volume 2(1)
Record companies are threatening to sue large organisations whose servers are being used by employees to help themselves to free music, arguing that they have become "hotbeds" for illegal media downloading. Allen Dixon, executive director of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, commented: "Frankly, in this day and age, companies that don't pay attention to their networks need a wake-up call."
Simon Beavis, The Independent 21 January
Writing on the Red Herring Website, Lawrence Lessig reviews an item which takes an alternative view of copyright infringement. The review is of an article by Professor Salil Mehra, published in the Rutgers Law Review during the autumn of 2002, which argues that there are many cases where a breach of copyright can work in the favour of the rightsholder. The article suggests that there is a conflict of interest between lawyers and businesses which is not best served by copyright litigation. Lawyers wish to protect their clients from breaches of copyright but do so even when a business could reap financial benefit through copycat activity. Professor Mehra points to the Japanese market for dojinshi comics. These are blatant rip-offs of original works and would certainly be considered breaches of copyright in the USA or the UK. However, Japanese lawyers are not champing at the bit to sue these amateur artists for unauthorised use of a work. Instead, Japanese publishers recognise that dojinshi comics fuel demand for original works, thus benefiting the original author.
Mr Lessig writes: "There's a lesson in this example that executives in the content industry should think about before they sign away their businesses to lawyers. The law is a rough-edged tool. It was not crafted by geniuses of economics. How it affects new and different markets