ESCalate was part of the Higher Education Academy. As the Subject Centre for Education we were a discipline-focused team with expertise from across the diverse world of education. We promoted and supported learning and teaching for staff and students in education studies, continuing and adult education, teacher education and lifelong learning.
We provided Higher Education resources, events, research and development funding and offered a network that connects teachers in education who are interested in teaching and learning.
The Academy was an independent organisation funded by grants from the four UK funding bodies for HE, subscriptions from higher education institutions, and contract income for specific initiatives.
Emergency Education: a development for British universities
This edition of the ESCalate newsletter welcomes a report by David Selby and Fumiyo Kagawa on emergency education in Kosovo. In addition to the article reproduced here, Fumiyo has discussed emergency education in depth elsewhere. Staff and students in university departments and in the developing Centres for Excellence play important roles in work that is defining the nature and extent of emergency education and critical citizenship
Exploring the psychological wellbeing of students in Higher Education
This is an article from the ESCalate newsletter, issue 18, autumn 2010 by Daphne Evans. It looks at the psychological wellbeing of students in Higher Education. This is an important area for research because with increased numbers of young people entering higher education, interest in issues relating to the mental health and wellbeing of young people is also increasing
Education 2020
This is an article from the ESCalate Newsletter no. 10, Spring 2008 written by the education consultant Stephen Heppell. It looks at the recent past and current trends in the use of technology in education and tries to predict how these trends will continue to develop up to the year 2020. It looks at the rise of personalised learning, the impact of globalisation, increased flexibility and portability in the education marketplace and how current monolithic structures may struggle to survive. It counsels that we need "new consensual ways to assess both the outcomes of students' learning and of our learning organisations, as without much better metrics ... our biggest certainty for 2020 is that whatever happens between now and then will be diminished and undervalued"
Students as change agents at Exeter University
This is an article from the ESCalate newsletter, issue 18, autumn 2010 by Harriet Whewell, formerly of the University of Exeter. This article gives a personal account of working with students on an innovative project at Exeter University. It details the Students as Change Agents scheme that aims to increase student engagement in the teaching and learning experience. Students ran their own research projects and data collection to improve an area of concern within their subject
New Horizons: ESCalate and the Mental Health in Higher Education project
This is an article from the ESCalate newsletter, summer 2010, celebrating 10 years of the subject centre. Jill Anderson writes about what happens when a well-established subject centre supports the work of an interdisciplinary project to achieve remarkable results. It details the work of ESCalate in supporting the Mental Health in Higher Education project
Developing academic skills with a diverse student body
This is an article from the ESCalate newsletter, issue 11, summer 2008, written by Tracey Johnson of the Education Support Unit at the University of Bristol. It explains how the university supports the development of academic skills in diverse groups of students and the particular needs of international students at UK universities. The article details how the Student Development Unit at the University of Bristol has trained over one thousand students in key academic skills during the current academic year. This represents a significant number of students voluntarily seeking skills training outside of the discipline-specific curriculum, and 52% of those attending were international students. It details how students are being taught academic, study and critical thinking skills, and encouraged them to engage with Personal Development Planning (PDP) processes, with a view to making educational expectations and techniques more explicit to the entire student body
Learner-centredness and the class of 130
This is an article from the ESCalate newsletter, issue 11, summer 2008. Dr Jenny Moon writes about how her Teaching Fellow award helped her to travel to Tanzania and take part in an Oxfam project (EQUIP). She worked on a Primary School project in rural Tanzania for three weeks, mainly helping the local project workers to structure the documentation of the project in order to promote its uptake in other areas of the country. The focus of the project is to improve pupil learning by initiatives that support the teachers in their teaching. The underlying philosophy is to engineer a shift from the teacher or curriculum-centredness of traditional education, to a learner-centred education. How could there be anything that UK teachers could wish of this system? Pupils do not talk or mess around or fidget or prod each other into misbehaviour, but they attend to the teacher. This compliance is essential in a class of 130 children (the average class size is 70), even though it somewhat flies in the face of a truly learner-centred system
Let’s hear it for the Student Voice!
This is an article from the ESCalate newsletter, summer 2010, celebrating 10 years of the education subject centre. Fiona Campbell argues passionately for the inclusion of the student voice in all aspects of higher education and provides an overview of the two projects that ESCalate supported as a way of mainstreaming this once marginal area
ESCalate and the changing world of HE
This is an article from the ESCalate newsletter, summer 2010. Tony Brown, Director of ESCalate, explains the scope of ESCalate’s work and the diversity of its reach while anticipating possible changes to come. It is available as a PDF file of some 2 pages
What a National Teaching Fellowship means to me
This is an article from the ESCalate newsletter, issue 16, spring 2010. Richard Hall writes about how the award has helped him to develop and support networks of e-Learning co-ordinators across his institution
Reflections of a personal research journey
This is an article from the ESCalate newsletter, issue 14, summer 2009 by Alison Hramiak and Helen Boulton. The article outlines the process the two authors went through to come together and produce their research material
Developing students as researchers
This article authored by Mick Healey and Alan Jenkins describes the importance of research within the undergraduate curriculum. It argues that all undergraduate students in all higher education institutions should experience learning through and about research. This was originally published in UC Magazine, October 2008, p17-19, (Magazine of University and College Union). It also gives a list of useful websites
Students as researchers: Novice to expert
This is an article from the ESCalate newsletter, issue 14, summer 2009 reporting on the first ESCalate student conference - Students as researchers : novice to expert - held on Monday 20th April 2009, at the Lakeside Centre, Birmingham. The article gives a flavour of the day and what was covered in the different sessions
Scholarly activity undertaken in HE in FE
This is an article from the ESCalate newsletter, issue 14, summer 2009 by Madeline King and John Widdowson. This article looks at provision given in FECs (Further Education colleges) for Higher Education programmes and looks forward to new initiatives
Education in Northern Ireland: a view form the sidelines
This is an article from the ESCalate newsletter, issue 15, autumn 2009. Les Caul gives an overview of the complexities of the primary and secondary education sector in Northern Ireland, which points up issues of relevance to the whole of the UK and has obvious implications for the strategic development of Higher Education both there and in the rest of the UK. It is available as a PDF download of 3 pages
The National Teaching Fellowship Scheme: ten years on and going strong
This is an article from the ESCalate newsletter, issue 16, spring 2010. Lesley-Jane Eales-Reynolds, tells us about how the scheme began and how it continues to grow and share the benefits throughout the education community. Then in the following articles we have two personal accounts of what the awards have enabled people to achieve
Making room for scholarly activity and research within HE in FE
This is an article from the ESCalate newsletter, issue 18, autumn 2010 by Steve Rose. For a long time there has been support for the Further Education sector in delivering Higher Education courses. The article calls for continued support of scholarly activity within colleges
Wanted! Agents of Change
Duncan Reavey explains how student primary teachers at the University of Chichester get involved in creative problem-solving projects in the professional world. They take a module called Creativity 3 which helps them to develop skills and confidence in creative problem-solving. They address real-world problems and provide genuine end products. The module is unlike anything which has been run before, so the lecturers are learning too
Regionalising the national or nationalising the regional: Widening Participation as a case in point
This is an article from the ESCalate newsletter, issue 16, spring 2010. John Storan examines the crucial issue of how to fuse the regional and national aims of widening participation into a coherent policy approach
Getting the Ubuntu Going!
The author tells us about her second visit to South Africa to study the education system and the recent developments in music education
Towards a psychodynamic model of the student experience
This is an article from the ESCalate newsletter, issue 11, summer 2008. In it Dr Tony Brown writes about how using a psychodynamic model of student learning may change our thoughts about poorly performing students. A psychodynamic paradigm begins from a fundamentally different position. Student desire for learning is construed as relational, so when student learning has been disrupted, the focus shifts to the student’s relationships and how these are implicated in the learning process. Significant relations include those with: tutors, peers, self, significant others from the past – including parents or principal care givers. Using a psychodynamic lens produces a paradigmatic shift away from the conclusion that poorly performing students have something wrong with them, but it also creates troublesome questions that need to be faced. The article examines this in the context of student-tutor relationships, engagement with learning and potential effects on performance in Higher Education
Report on ‘The Academic Implications of the Bologna Process’
Dr Neville Morley is the Chair of the University of Bristol’s Bologna Working Group. He attended the above event organised by Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies on 12th May
UN Decade for Education for Sustainable Development: Higher Education on or off course?
This paper comments on the role of the higher education sector relating to sustainable development
The Internationalisation of UK higher education?
Mention the internationalisation of higher education in the UK and many people will assume that you are talking about increasing numbers of international students rather than engaging in a concerted effort to integrate an intercultural dimension into your teaching. In fact there are those who suggest that very few students and academics have risen to the challenge of understanding the complexities of operating effectively in an international and intercultural context (Knight and de Wit, 1995; Volet & Ang, 1998). Paradoxically, although most UK universities define themselves as international institutions, many academics may feel ambivalent towards international students..
Critical thinking requires academic assertiveness
It floated into my consciousness as I was writing about critical thinking. Thoughts come and thoughts go, but not this one. I felt that there was an important issue here that we might be missing in our other concerns about students learning and not-learning. Think about the following students:Ellie does not understand the instructions for the dissertation project that she has to do. Her tutor is a professor with a difficult manner and she feels very intimidated so decides to manage on her own.Juan has written a poor set of reports for his Mechanical Engineering lab work. His tutor has told him that in effect he has failed, though there is a chance for resubmission. He takes the notion of failure badly and feels he himself has failed, not the work. Somehow he has to get himself to a state in which he can redo it.Magrit has, for a seminar task, to prepare a critique of a paper of a well known theorist in her discipline, who happens to be one of her tutors. She feels uneasy about the man himself and is horrified that she could be asked to criticise his paper. She says ‘who am I to critique his work when I am only a student’.Joanne is told to be more independent in her studies but has no real understanding of what is required.Jon is in a seminar. He has been asked to do a short presentation on the effects of Labour party policy on school education in the last seven years. He has argued a negative case, but in the course of the seminar, he realises that he now disagrees with much that he originally wrote. Has he the courage to say that he has changed his mind?
it really feels like I have finished my studies now.’ An online exploration of learning biographies.
My ESCalate funded research explored the opportunities for personal and professional reflection by engaging in a narrative enquiry in the form of learning biographies (see Domincé, 2000 and Kridel, 1998), in an online environment. The central feature was to create a temporal and physical space in a virtual environment to facilitate reflexivity. The focus on past learning experiences provides anideal opportunity to engage in reflection that highlights the personal learner and the professional individual working with young people in educational contexts. The findings suggest that for some individuals this process of reflective enquiry may question traditional concepts of formal learning by placing learning in a wider context that includes dealing with the past and the present
Putting the ‘Professional’ Into Practice: Using student action research projects to enhance employer engagement
Lynn McCann writes about how action research projects at Liverpool Hope University give benefits to both the student and the employer. Small action research projects are carried out by third year Education Studies students, as work placements. Examples are: research on community-based respite care, benefits of volunteering and the history of a law firm. These equip students with a wide range of transferable skills and approaches, which are attractive to employers
Early Career Academics and their Experiences of linking Research and Teaching: a collaborative UK/Canadian project
Dr Lisa Lucas and Nancy Turner were successful project partners in the ESCalate October 2005 Development Grant funding round. The support they received helped them to carry out this research and the project is now near to completion. In this article, the authors state that the significance of the link between research and teaching has become increasingly important within debates on higher education in many western countries. This article was published in the ESCalate newsletter, autumn 2007
Education for Sustainable Development
This is an article from the ESCalate newsletter, autumn 2007. It details how Henry Liebling has agreed to act as a consultant to support and direct ESCalate’s work in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). In this article Henry spells out some core challenges for education in general before taking a look at what students and tutors working on primary Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes can do to develop ESD
The Green Village Project: a university-community partnership
The University of Plymouth made a successful bid to HEFCE for a Centre for Excellence in Sustainability. This report from the ESCalate newsletter follows one significant development, the Green Village Project. This paper reports on one significant project which aimed to meet the Centre for Sustainable Future’s mandate to build university-community partnerships, to research how such partnerships work, and to make recommendations for future partnerships in order to play an active role in promoting the sustainability of communities in the region. The Green Village project challenged a community to answer what it means for a rural community to become more sustainable
Volunteerism, a pathway to creative experiences
Alison Patterson and John Patterson describe an innovative volunteering scheme to involve student teachers with their local community, to the benefit of all concerned. This is run by Liverpool Hope University. This article appears in the ESCalate Spring 2011 newsletter
The Growth of the ‘New Education Studies’
Two years ago a small group of education studies lecturers from a range of Higher Education (HE) institutions came together to share experiences. From this initial meeting the idea of a subject network developed through which support, advice, pooling of resources and ideas could take place. It was hoped that this network could also provide a forum in which discussion of the nature and the development of the subject would occur. Thus the British Education Studies Association (BESA) was formed. The article presents a historical background of Education Studies, explains why students find it appealing, and ends with a word about its future and the importance of networking
History Curricula in England and New Zealand: identity, belonging and the case for valuing an historical perspective
This is a discussion about the relationship between identity, belonging and historical perspectives in the context of the history curriculum, written by Dr. Robert Guyver as part of the ESCalate Research Papers in Education series. Historical perspective includes the views of historians not only about particular periods or themes but also in the field of historiography (the philosophy behind the meaning of history), and this investigates whether there is an equation between good history and effective curriculum structures in history. This leads into a debate about whether it might be possible to define general principles of good practice in this area.It also considers theories of teaching and learning in this context, i.e. suitable pedagogies. It is presented as a single PDF file of some 54 pages
Putting the I into Identity and other stories
This publication reports on the work of HELP CETL Award Holders who have undertaken research projects and/or continuing professional development activities to support the teaching and learning of HE in FE. Award Holders who had completed these activities between 2005 and 2008 were invited to participate in a writing group to reflect on their experiences. Between July 2008 and March 2009 the Award Holders attended a planning event, writing retreat and follow up workshop where they were given the time, space and support to develop narratives that considered their development as HE in FE professionals. Their narratives are presented in this publication along with an overview of their personal/professional experiences and their research/continuing professional development activities
Teacher Education in transition: the changing landscape across the UK
This publication has been written to follow on from the ESCalate symposium held at the UCET conference in Nov 2010. It comprises a collection of case studies from Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England. These case studies take into account the divergence of teacher training in these countries, and follow recent developments in teacher education policies
Employability for Students - How to get the best from your Education course
This book is part of the ESCalate series "Discussion in Education" and looks at the topic of employability. It has been written to help education students think about how to get the maximum out of their time at college or university while they are still on their course. Through a series of practical exercises allow students to reflect on their experiences and gain skills when looking for employment
Ten Years of National Teaching Fellowships: four stories from education
A group of Education-based Fellows have been invited to expand on their experience, describe the impact of the fellowship on their professional lives, and share their thoughts about learning and teaching. The publication is introduced by David Sadler, now Pro Vice-Chancellor (Students and Education) at the University of Tasmania, but formerly of the Higher Education Academy, and in charge of overseeing the scheme there. A print copy of the publication can be requested from ESCalate
Making mobile learning work: case studies of practice
This publication has been written and edited for the education community in UK higher education. It highlights a small number of the significant 'mobile learning' projects currently underway in the UK, for schools, and tries to draw out their significance specifically for the education community.The introduction provides a working definition of mobile learning and then tries to identify the meaning and the limitations of the projects described specifically for a readership working in education. A hard copy can be requested from ESCalate (while stocks last)
The Doctorate: international stories of the UK experience
This is a collection of stories written by non - UK students about their experience of studying for their doctorate in a number of different UK institutions. The stories are personal ones, in which they outline the barriers they have overcome and the feelings they encountered on the way. It is available to download as a PDF document
The Doctorate: stories of knowledge, power and becoming
This is a series of stories from a diverse group of people who were asked to write about their experiences of being doctoral students, edited by Tony Brown, Director of ESCalate, and published as part of the Discussions in Education Series. A collection of stories from a range of writers who have all been through the experience of completing a PhD. The publication is likely to have resonance for colleagues and students working in any number of disciplinary contexts. It is available as a PDF download of 61 pages
Beyond the subject curriculum; how we can offer students more than mere excellent subject knowledge and help them leave college or university better equipped for life
This publication combines data from a project with Education students with literature and event resources on employability. It was written by Julie Anderson and Helena Mitchell and published by ESCalate. This resource on employability is written for teaching staff who wish to introduce issues of employability into their teaching. It is designed to be read in conjunction with other online resources located on the ESCalate web site to support the introduction of employability. It is presented as a PDF file of some 30 pages, with links to associated resources
Teaching and Learning: the International Higher Education Landscape - some theories and working practices
This discussion paper has been written in order to encourage academic staff to reflect on those dimensions of working with cultural diversity that are often uncomfortable and contentious. This is part of the ESCalate Discussions in Education Series and was written by Dr Sheila Trahar of the University of Bristol. This discussion paper is written in two parts. Part One provides an overview of the international higher education context in the UK: it explores theoretical frameworks of learning and teaching in a range of cultures, drawing on relevant research to illustrate some of the difficulties that can be encountered by both students and academics in this complex environment. Part Two challenges some myths and stereotypes and offers some practical suggestions of how to facilitate successful intercultural learning in increasingly complex contexts
Flexibility and Widening Participation
Flexibility and widening participation by Professor Michael Osborne and Dr Derek Young is part of the ESCalate Discussions in Education series and explores some of the key issues and gives some 'in practice' examples This booklet provides an introduction to to the concepts of Flexibility and Widening Participation, exploring some of the key issues and giving some 'in practice' examples. The booklet is in two parts; in part one Professor Michael Osborne introduces the concepts of Flexibility and Widening Participation, in the process highlighting a number of key issues such as in-reach, out-reach and flexibility, giving an overview of current offerings; in part two Dr Derek Young takes those initial themes and explores them in further detail using a number of 'in practice' examples. It is presented as a single PDF file of some 24 pages
Fostering creative thinking: co-constructed insights from neuroscience and education
This report was written by Paul Howard-Jones of the University of Bristol and published by ESCalate. It looks at the role of creativity in the educational process as part of a project, funded by ESCalate, that "aimed to develop the reflective capability of trainee drama teachers regarding the fostering of creative thinking through enhancing awareness of the underlying cognitive and neurocognitive processes". It is presented as a PDF file of some 23 pages
Making groups work: improving group work through the principles of academic assertiveness in higher education and professional development
The aim of this material is to help students to help themselves to work better in groups, in higher education or professional development. Through provision and application of some basic principles of academic assertiveness. It was authored by Dr Jenny Moon, published by ESCalate and is available as a PDF download of some 36 pages. Group work is central to many areas of academic and personal development work, from joint work on critique and problem solving to lab work and research and in the development of products such as films, buildings, art work and advertisements. Academic assertiveness is described broadly as a set of emotional and psychological orientations and behaviours that enable a learner appropriately to manage the challenges to the self in the course of learning and their experiences in formal education and personal development work. This material aims to provide academic and practical resources for learners and their tutors
We seek it here...a new perspective on the elusive activity of critical thinking: a theoretical and practical approach
This paper is part of the Discussions in Education Series and is writtern / produced by Dr Jenny Moon / ESCalate.This paper is in two parts: Part One questions what is meant by critical thinking, referring to the literature in some detail to build towards a descriptive statement. A particularly helpful aspect of Dr Moon’s writing is the link made between critical thinking and the development of the conceptions of knowledge (epistemological beliefs) which have not been explored fully elsewhere. Part Two focuses on the practical side of the issue for staff and students in HE, finishing with some activity pages. It is available as a single PDF file
Leadership: Professional communities of leadership practice in post-compulsory education
Leadership: Professional communities of leadership practice in post-compulsory education by Jill Jameson of the University of Greenwich, is part of the Discussions in Education Series produced by ESCalate. This paper reviews and outlines the academic basis behind leadership in the post-compulsory education setting. Leadership has been for some years a key area of strategic and operational importance in the UK post-compulsory sector - this publication aims to address some of the issues surrounding this topic. It discusses the theories and definitions behind, leadership, leader professionalism and post-compulsory education, before giving examples of good practice
Enquiry-based learning
This is a project report The Learning to Learn through Supported Enquiry Project team, based at University of Surrey. The project, which began in early 2005, has promoted innovation in educational practice through supported enquiry-based learning (EBL). It was based on established postgraduate practices at the University of Surrey and sought to support related developments in undergraduate programmes. It used an enquiry-based approach to change, by working together with course teams to support locally-owned developments. This involves expanding capacities to think about how we as individuals learn; exploring beliefs and attitudes towards learning that provide an intrinsic source of motivation; and developing skills of learning and acting that make use of one's knowledge about self. These qualities contribute to capacities for professional action, leadership and entrepreneurship. This project report is presented as a PDF file of some 20 pages
Promoting employability skills within the curriculum
Presentation by Paul Chin & Dr Julie Anderson at International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (ISSOTL) Conference Sydney, 2007. A major new resource to promote employability skills within the curriculum. ESCalate has a student page dedicated to employability, on this page you will find an online employability module on career skills and a publication to get students thinking about 'How to get the best from your Education course'
Reflective Learning Workshop
This is a collection of materials from an ESCalate workshop on reflective learning held at Coventry University. Dr Jenny Moon an ESCalate Academic Consultant led the workshop, which covered: Developing an understanding of reflection; - Defining reflective learning; - Emotion and reflection; - Learning and reflection; - Factors that affect the quality of reflection; - Depth of reflection; - The learner's conception of knowledge; -Introducing reflection, a two stage approach; - Assessment issues; - Exercises to stimulate reflection; - Learning journals as ‘containers’ for ongoing reflection. The materials available are a PowerPoint presentation and a Word document handout of some 21 pages
Resources for use with reflection or learning journals
This document has been made available by ESCalate and includes the resources section from Jenny Moon's book on learning journals and their use, Learning Journals - a handbook for reflective practice and professional development (Routledge Falmer, 2006, 2nd Edition). The material in this section may be freely photocopied, but must include acknowledgement of the author and source. It includes instructions for exercises on the depth and quality of reflection, a generic framework for reflective writing and an exercise on starting with reflective learning, and improving its depth and quality. It is presented as a single Word document of some 17 pages
Resources for Reflective Learning
This is a collection of exercises, material for handouts and examples that are designed to support the introduction and use of reflective and experiential learning. They were distributed as a resources sheet by Dr. Jenny Moon at a workshop on reflective learning given on behalf of ESCalate. They comprise of 50 pages from Moon, J (2004) A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning , Routledge Falmer, London. It covers topics such as the processes of writing reflectively, questions to support reflective writing and strategies for enhancing learning from everyday experience. This material is available to be re-used, although it should contain an attribution or reference to the original source and author. It is presented as a single Word document of some 44 pages
The Teaching Research Interface: Implications for Practice in HE and FE
The teaching research interface : implications for practice in HE and FE is a selection of conference papers presented on 29th - 30th April 2008 at the University of Stirling, and edited by Muir Houston of the University of Stirling on behalf of ESCalate. There has been a growing interest in recent years in what has been termed the nexus between teaching and research and its impact on student learning. There can be important disciplinary differences in the relationship based in part on: the nature of knowledge within the discipline; different forms of pedagogy and variations in delivery and assessment; and the nature and organisation of research within the discipline. Moreover, the relationship can take many forms. The papers cover the impact of technology, including video and VLEs, issues of widening participation and social inclusion, and developments in the FE sector. It is presented as a single PDF file of some 98 pages
We’re All OK
This is a report on a small-scale study using Transactional Analysis (TA) to modify behaviour in 14-19 year olds at a Further Education college that appeared in the ESCalate Bulletin no. 38, April 2008. It was written by Jane Seabourne, Pat Shepherd and Julie Hughes, lecturers at City of Wolverhampton College. They worked with Cert Ed students, teaching them TA, with follow-up meetings, videos of lessons and further analysis. They conclude that TA can make a difference to classroom behaviour: although the behaviour in question was that of the teacher. They recommend that TA should be included in Cert Ed sessions: it gives a language to talk about, and reflect upon, problems, and it assumes problems can be solved autonomously
Identifying Good Pedagogical Practices in Doctorates of Education
This PowerPoint presentation gives an overview of an ESCalate grant funded project carried out by Dr Alexis Taylor of Brunel Univesity. It reviews Doctorate of Education programmes to exemplify good practice by looking at the literature (and the gaps in it), the UK educational context and conducting interviews to seek out examples of good practice
Coming from Behind: an investigation of learning issues in the process of widening participation in higher education
The question that this project addresses is the following: 'What are the characteristics of the learning of 'widening participation students'' that could inhibit their progress in a higher education environment? Specifically (a) what is it that we need to do in order to enable them rapidly to function at higher education levels, and (b) to progress to HE level 3 studies if they wish this?'
Educational Development: The Views of Academics
This is an ESCalate development project led by Kym Fraser of Warwick University looking at the educational development of engineering and medical academics at Oxbridge who make little use of central education development provision in the tutorial teaching system. Oxford and Cambridge are both collegiate universities with a unique and very successful mode of teaching. However, only a small percentage of academics in these universities engage with central education development provision. Quite clearly teaching is successfully delivered. Where do academics discuss and develop their teaching and how may centrally based and faculty based education development units work to enhance that development? This project seeks to answer those questions through investigating the experiences, perceptions and conceptions of Oxbridge academic staff of professional development of teaching. The final project report is presented as a Word document of some 7 pages
Developing Assessment Use for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
This is an ESCalate development project led by Val Klenowski of the Institute of Education. It looks at a variety of assessment practices to promote learning in postgraduate education and draws out the curriculum, pedagogy and assessment implications in relation to postgraduate level work. Assessment is integral to the teaching and learning cycle and must be used in the right way to support and enhance learning. Current debates about education assessment refer to research evidence that suggests assessment as a regular element of classroom work holds the key to better learning. However, most of this evidence is derived from research conducted at primary or secondary school levels. A central aim of this project was to assess the relevance of such assessment theory to postgraduate level work. This study builds on the findings of four action research projects that developed a variety of assessment practices to promote learning in postgraduate education. The specific aims are to refine and develop these assessment and pedagogic practices, which incorporate the use of self-assessment, learning portfolios and learning groups. The research projects have been conducted at Masters level at the Institute of Education, University of London in the school of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment and in the Graduate School of Education, Queen's University, Belfast. Colleagues at Bristol have indicated their interest and commitment to develop these practices with postgraduate students working in their own contexts. This project will establish networking opportunities with the Graduate School of Education, University of Bristol, so that through such exchange the practices may be improved and refined collaboratively in the three locations. This opportunity will capitalise on the individual strengths that each researcher will bring to the study and will help determine the relevance of these practices for others in higher education. Another aim is to assess the learning benefits of the study for colleagues so that the findings can be disseminated more widely. The key messages that emerged from the research relate to pedagogy, curriculum and assessment. Pedagogically it was important to shift to a more learner-centred approach with plenty of opportunities for participation and active engagement in learning about assessment through the practice of these assessment strategies. A learning curriculum was also developed that again provided opportunities for peer dialogue and collaborative learning. The assessment content and processes were integrated throughout the learning programme
Enhancing the effectiveness of student feedback and support in a distance learning context
This is an ESCalate development project led by Chris Kynch of St Martin's College and completed in 2002. Distance learning is seen as a popular flexible solution to learning while maintaining a job and other commitments. Nevertheless the drop out rate is typically high. One view is that only highly self motivated students succeed. Another is that students may 'acclimatise' to distance learning. Support and feedback could be important in this process, and especially salient for school placements. Understanding the nature of feedback and support and its impact on students has been identified as the key issue to be taken forward by this research project. The project was initiated by a team who are responsible for an innovative modular flexible distance learning course leading initially to the Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). The course has proved increasingly popular with students and, perhaps because it was innovative, generated interest from the media and the TTA as well as other educational institutions. Although successful courses leading to qualified teacher status for Secondary school teachers have long been offered by the Open University, primary courses have proved more challenging, and notably an Ofsted report led to programme closure. Because of the success of the Secondary courses, it is clearly possible to assure the quality of school placements. However there are distinctive challenges for smaller schools, schools which are geographically distant from the higher education provider, and schools which are thinly spread over remote rural areas. One or more of these characteristics tend to be typical of primary schools. One of the reasons for the successful launch, from Ambleside, of the distance learning course which was studied by the research project, was the innovative approaches of the college to ensure consistent, high quality primary school placements for student teachers in small, geographically dispersed schools which are typical of North Lancashire and Cumbria. The research project worked with the earliest cohorts, so that students experienced rapid developments in the shape, design and delivery of the programme and constituent parts, and also the very fast learning curve of tutors and programme leaders as they engaged with the emerging challenges of ‘blended learning’ at a distance. The interviews, especially of students from the first cohort, reflect this formation stage, and how at the start the programme was engaging with both distance and technology mediated learning. The experience of developing the course and the early challenges is likely to be of interest to others who are embarking ‘from scratch’ in this field. However, distance learning and technology mediated learning may take many forms, making it difficult to draw comparisons between different courses and contexts. It includes an interim and final project report
Developing research capabilities in FE lecturers through practitioner led action research
This is an ESCalate development project led by Ian Minty of the UHI Millennium Institute and completed in 2007. The main aim of this project was to help develop research skills in Further Education lecturers who are involved in both Further Education (FE) and Higher Education (HE) delivery by establishing a mainly online discussion group to support practitioners. Many staff within the colleges that form UHI now teach at both FE and HE level and are increasingly expected to engage with research. However, currently there are limited links between the more traditional research establishments and staff in the colleges. Traditionally, however, college staff have not engaged in research and have therefore not necessarily developed the required skills. This project’s aim was to support the development of basic research skills for such staff through the planning and execution of a small-scale project that related to one aspect of the individual’s teaching practice. Action research was chosen as a methodology since it is by definition small scale and rooted in practice. It includes a final report and separate appendices
Student social anxiety; an exploratory study
This is an ESCalate development project led by Graham Russell of the University of Plymouth and completed in 2008. An on-line survey was designed to gather information about the impact of social anxiety on student learning and well-being. A psychological screening tool was used to maximise validity and anonymity was employed to enhance response integrity. Social anxiety is a form of chronic shyness that is characterised by social evaluative anxiety and avoidance behaviour. Sufferers typically fear and avoid social situations that might result in unsolicited public scrutiny, fearing (often irrationally) that their behaviour or appearance will lead to others’ ridicule. This survey shows that anxiety has a marked impact on student well-being with reporting of frequent emotional distress and difficulties forming social networks. The findings also demonstrate a need for greater staff and student awareness of social anxiety and the need to consider its impact when designing support services and new curricula. In respect of its impact on learning, social anxiety is associated with stress and avoidance behaviours that impact on performance. Students were particularly concerned about having to speak out during classes and in the worst cases they reported avoiding seminars, presentations, modules or people. On the positive side, anxiety sometimes resulted in intensive preparation for learning events, involving public speaking, such as presentations and seminars. It is not possible, therefore, to draw conclusions about the overall impact of social anxiety on learning. However, anecdotally, some students felt they had lost marks through being anxious. Finally, students identified a range of improvements that could be offered to support emotional well-being and curriculum activities. Many of these broadly fall into a self-help category, such as use of the internet to enhance communication and social networking. These could be implemented with relatively little financial cost to the University and its partnership colleges. Other suggestions included drop-in workshops for stress, public speaking and confidence building that would likely be of benefit to the student population as a whole. It includes a project report and an academic paper
Promoting and encouraging the effective use of the student voice to enhance professional development in learning, teaching and assessment within higher education
This is an ESCalate development project led by Fiona Campbell of Napier University that was completed in 2007. The Hearing the Student Voice project aimed to promote and encourage the use of the student voice to enhance the effectiveness of academic professional development and ultimately the learning experience of students. Students can have a powerful impact on academic professional development aimed at enhancing learning, teaching and assessment practice. By providing qualitative insights about the nature of their learning experience, students can bring both valid and valuable viewpoints and motivate staff who are engaged by the students’ perspective and often admire their perspicacity. This report records the progress and achievements of the Hearing the Student Voice project, funded by ESCalate to promote and encourage the use of the student voice to enhance the effectiveness of academic professional development in learning, teaching and assessment practice and ultimately the learning experience of students. The report has been written by the team representing the four universities who collaborated on the project
The Reflective Practitioner: Undergraduate Independent Study Modules in Education Studies.
This is an ESCalate development project led by Jean Williams of De Montfort University that was completed in 2007. It looks at a cohort of students using a journal to record their reflections and using that as part of their assessment. The Project / Placement module has been running successfully since 1998 and offers Humanities students the opportunity to carry out an applied independent study through a placement in an educational setting. The students identify and prepare resources for a class in a school, playgroup, performing arts group, dance class or for an individual learner. The finished project includes an assessed reflective journal of the learning and teaching process. The proposal is to follow the 2005/6 cohort for one academic year commencing September 2005 and ending June 2006 to evaluate the use of the reflective journal. As part of the project students will be asked to take part in a variety of reflective activities (including writing journals, portfolio preparation, presentations, discussion groups online, feedback, self-evaluation) and asked to comment on the methodology and pedagogy used in delivering the module. Students will be asked to comment on the following themes:‘Reflection is a process of reviewing an experience of practice in order to describe, analyse and evaluate and so inform learning from practice’ Brigid Reid (1993).The major question is whether reflection actually improves practice. It includes a final project report
Recognising and supporting PhD students crossing conceptual thresholds
This is an ESCalate development project led by Gina Wisker of the University of Brighton and completed in 2007. It looked at threshold concepts in the work of PhD students where their work moves beyond the fact finding and questioning to the conceptual of deep learning. This project builds on research undertaken into recognising, defining and exploring variation in the threshold concepts among undergraduate students (Meyer, Land et al 2003) by focusing on where, when and how to identify the crossing of conceptual thresholds in the work of PhD students. In so doing it focuses on variations in postgraduate student learning and conceptual levels of work at PhD. It also considers supervisory and research programme practices and materials which could better enable PhD students to develop conceptual level work. It includes an interim and final report about the project process, plus a link to an academic paper writing up the research
Developing a systematic approach towards Impact field research
This is a collaborative ESCalate research project on behalf of the South West Regional Group for Professional Development (SWRGPD), to coordinate and build upon the good practice development of the members of the SWRGPD and disseminate results in partnership with UCET et al. Recent changes in HE accredited postgraduate funding arrangements by the Training and Development Agency (TDA) for schools has seen the introduction of a new scheme called Postgraduate Professional Development (PPD). The PPD puts an obligation on all HE providers to produce an annual report on impact-related field evidences drawn from teachers' practice in schools. This led to the Universities Council for the Education of Teachers (UCET) to set up a Special Interest Group (SIG) looking into the issues of impact related research. This project sought to coordinate and build upon the good practice development of the members of the SWRGPD and disseminate results in partnership with UCET et al. As such, this bid is a catalyst to a much larger funded national project coordinated in partnership with UCET, the International Professional Development Association (IPDA) and the Standing Council for the Education and Training of Teachers (SCETT). Interim and final project reports are available, along with a policy paper
COASTAL: (Curriculum,Outcomes,And Sustainable Teaching, Assessment,Learning) Sustainable Development in HE
COASTAL is a research project funded by ESCalate and led by Professor Gina Wisker of the University of Brighton. The project aims to identify, share and encourage the uptake of successful models and strategies for embedding Sustainable Development (SD) into the Higher Education (HE) curriculum. The project aimed to identify, share and encourage the uptake of successful models and strategies for embedding sustainable development in the HE curriculum in terms of learning outcomes, learning and teaching practices, and assessment. It explored: criteria, definitions , examples and models for effective and sustainable development (SD) in the HE curriculum; developing HE student SD learning outcomes through different disciplines and across disciplines; sharing effective models for SD learning. The project built on existing work at the University of Brighton which has started to bring together a ‘community of involvement’ on sustainable development. The project aimed to enhance and expand a community of staff, students and community representatives who are working to embed sustainable development within and across university curricula and across university and community boundaries. This resource features an interim project report from March 2008 and a final project report from October 200, presented as Word documents
Employer Concepts of Graduate Employability
This is an ESCalate research project led by Geoff Hinchliffe of the University of East Anglia. The project aims to research employer perceptions of graduate employability. The HE understanding of employer perception is currently framed in terms of key skills and personal qualities which are then reflected back into degree programmes. There has been insufficient recent systematic research undertaken into employer expectations of graduates (for example, to what extent do employers operate with a concept of ‘graduate identity’). . Moreover, it is often assumed that employer perceptions are the same across sectors, location and size, whereas given the diversity of employers this assumption seems questionable. Employability strands in current degree programmes may therefore not be as effective as they could be. The research, in particular, aims to test the efficacy of current skills discourse. If employability for employers involves more than key skills the research aims to identify this and to make recommendations concerning the employability considerations that can be incorporated into degree programmes. It will also aim at identifying any ‘employability gap’ which sets the limits to what HE can do in developing employability
Exploring the Rules of Engagement via Exemplars: enhancing staff and student dialogue about assessment and learning practice
This is an ESCalate Developing Pedagogy and Practice grant awarded to Kay Sambell of Northumbria University in 2009. This project develops a bank of activities and resources to enable Education staff to use concrete exemplars of student work as a means of enabling their students to approach assessment effectively. There will be two inter-related phases, one targeted on staff, one focused on their students. Both phases seek to promote dialogue about the tacit 'rules of engagement' surrounding assessment
Evidencing Reflection: putting the 'w' into reflection
Thought piece on the value and uses of reflection in teaching/working in HE - with practical suggestions including questions to stimulate reflection
Commenting on reflective journals and reflective process analyses: Resources for Tutors and Staff Developers
Report of a project, the main aim of which was to develop materials that would support staff in HE institutions who wish to develop reflective abilities in their students. The report provides background information and set of resources for teachers wishing to include reflective activities within their teaching
TEAK: Tackling Educational Complexity Across the United Kingdom
This ESCalate project looked at the differences in educational policy and practice across the four countries, after devolution, with particular reference to Education Studies. Includes reports from the four countries and associated resources. ESCalate has completed a project intended to assist Schools, Faculties and Departments of Education in higher education institutions (HEIs) in the UK, to better understand and reflect the growing diversity that exists in educational policy and practice as a result of the devolution of political power. The project was directed by Professor Rosemary Deem, of the Graduate School of Education at the University of Bristol and the project team was: * Professor Kevin J. Brehony, Froebel College, University of Surrey, Roehampton * Professor David Egan, School of Education, University of Wales Institute Cardiff * Mr. Ian Finlay, School of Education, University of Strathclyde * Ms Frances Hammond, Project Officer, University of Bristol. The aims of the project were: * identify significant policy differences between the four countries; * explore the impact of these on the work of Schools, Faculties and Departments of Education in HEIs; * establish how these differences are dealt with by teaching staff in their curricula; * create a resource and intelligence network that will enable ESCalate to be able to better meet the future needs of its community in tackling this growing diversity and complexity. The intended outcomes of the project were: * creation of a website, to include a database of experts and contacts within the broad educational constituency of each of the countries and key policy documentation; * establishment of a support system within ESCalate, able to offer ongoing assistance to members of the Centre in relation to developments in this field * dissemination of the findings of the project, through conferences held in each of the four countries. The website includes reports, references and associated resources
Education students, employers and employability: a report on a small scale project in 2004
This paper reports on a project which investigated education courses in terms of the employability of graduates at one English post ’92 institution. The paper examines the initial findings from the project. These include data from a survey of a hundred and twenty seven undergraduates, focus group interviews with both students and staff and a student workshop. A small number of employers also give their views. Employability isn’t an issue for Education graduates. They always get jobs don’t they? But what about the increasing number coming through on Education courses that have no vocational element? What do such graduates do? Not all of them want to go into teaching. That’s why they chose to do a degree without QTS ( qualified teacher status). How do employers view their qualifications? What do they need to do to secure that perfect job? And what are the prospects for their careers in the long term? This paper reports on a recent project which investigated Education courses in terms of the employability of graduates at one English post ’92 institution. The paper examines the initial findings from the project. These include data from a survey of a hundred and twenty seven undergraduates, focus group interviews with both students and staff and a student workshop. A small number of employers also give their views. It is presented as a Word document of some 16 pages
Career Skills for Education Students
This free resource has been created to enhance the employability of education students and may be undertaken by students themselves and/or used by staff to import into their programmes of work. It is an interactive course with personal study dimensions which aims to be flexible, accessible and engaging. It is relevant to anyone wanting to enhance their career in education broadly defined, regardless of age, level and mode of study. It is currently available as a downloadble zip file that can be imported into Blackboard Learning System (Release 6) and as a freely accessible web resource on the ESCalate website
Internationalisation Resources - 'Changing World' project
This is a selection of internationalisation resources produced by ESCalate to support the project A Changing World: the internationalisation experiences of staff and students (home and international) in UK Higher Education. Fifteen focus groups were run with staff and with students, both home and international, to listen to their views on what internationalisation meant to them, how it had influenced teaching and learning, and what challenges and successes they had experienced. Participants came from a range of disciplines and from across the UK. Staff in particular showed great awareness of the issues surrounding internationalisation with an appreciation of some of the complexities. Topics raised by participants included recruitment strategies, entry requirements for non-native speakers, PMI, fees, the "British degree", higher education institutions' (HEIs) competition for students in the global marketplace, and internationalising the curriculum. Staff and students described various techniques and strategies for creating inclusive learning environments. Many said how students and staff from across the world had enriched their lives, both personally and professionally. Staff discussed the difficulties of meeting the needs of culturally diverse groups, and both students and staff talked about how far we still have to go in encouraging some students to break out of their familiar cultural groups to socialise cross-culturally. Home students were the hardest group to recruit for this project. Given that they have so much to gain from learning in a culturally diverse environment it is suggested that more work needs to be done in the research area of Internationalisation at Home (Teekens, 2006, Joris, van den Berg & van Ryssen, 2003), and within institutions, to engage not only staff but also home students so that all students and staff can gain maximum benefit from the changing higher education landscape. A Changing World: the internationalisation experiences of staff and students (home and international) in UK Higher Education is a report produced by ESCalate and LLAS, that is made available as a PDF file of some 40 pages
Resources from Students as Researchers: Novice to Expert; The First Annual ESCalate Student Conference
Students as researchers : novice to expert; the first annual ESCalate student conference was held in April 2009, for Education undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students to consider the value and purpose of small-scale personal research in education for both individuals and groups. The resources from this event include presentations on; The Research Process: from Inception to Dissemination; Students as researchers in the first year undergraduate experience; Blogging as data gathering - how might Web 2.0 technologies interrupt and disturb our notions of research; Creating Research Opportunities through Enterprise and Innovation; Inquiry Based Learning as a method for researching change. Powerpoint files are available of all the presentations given at the conference, alongside PDF files of the poster presentations, accompanying photos and links to online resources
Embedding Employability in Education: Conference resources
Employability has acquired a central role within policy, strategy and the student curriculum in HE. Education Studies is often automatically with linked with specific vocations such as a career in teaching or with the social care profession but are there wider employability messages we could be emphasising? Should Education Studies embed the wider aspects of employability in their curriculum? This one-day conference in June 2009 explored how Employability can be engaged with across the Education Studies curriculum in HE. The conference provided an opportunity for academics in Education Studies and the Social Sciences to discuss and share approaches, models and to evaluate potential approaches to giving Employability and Employer involvement a greater role in shaping the curriculum, This resource includes a range of documents, presentations and papers frok the various contributors