Education / Educational sciences / Pedagogy Books
McGraw-Hill Education - Europe Practice Makes Perfect Mastering Writing
Book SynopsisHelpful instruction and plenty of practice for your child to master the basics of writingUnderstanding writing is essential for your child to write with competence and clarity. Practice Makes Perfect: Mastering Writing gives your child bite-sized explanations of this essential skill, with engaging exercises that keep her or him motivated and excited to learn. They can practice the writing skills that are challenging, polish skills theyâve mastered, and stretch themselves to explore skills they have not yet attempted. This title features 170 activities (plus answer key) that increase in difficulty as your child proceeds through the book.This book is appropriate for a 6th grade student working above his or her grade level, or as a great review and practice for a struggling 7th or 8th grader.Your student will learn how to: Find and develop ideas for topics Create first drafts Develop sentences and use correct subject-verb agreement Table of ContentsAbout This BookHow to Use This BookPart One: Finding and Developing Ideas for WritingDiscovering IdeasThe Value of Keeping a JournalFocusing IdeasDeveloping IdeasOrganizing IdeasPart Two: Writing the DraftSentences: The Foundation of the DraftBuilding ParagraphsUsing Adjectives and Adverbs WiselyOrder and SequenceUsing Strong VerbsPoint of ViewPart Three: RevisionWhat Is Revision?Plan for RevisionRevision Peer ConsultantsPart Four: ProofreadingProofreading StrategiesProofreading and Computer ScreensThe Value of Proofreading PartnersAnswer KeyIndex
£13.38
Penguin Random House India Worrying Is No Good
Book SynopsisWoops the worm stops worrying and helps others with their feelings in a unique series set in Foggy Forest, where quirky animals support each other through fear, anxiety, shyness, and anger.
£9.79
Lulu.com Scottish Gaelic Crosswords Part 4
Book Synopsis
£11.87
MIT Press Ltd The Abundant University
Book Synopsis
£32.00
MIT Press Ltd Teach Truth to Power How to Engage in Education
Book SynopsisHow academics and researchers can influence education policy: putting research in a policy context, finding unexpected allies, interacting with politicians, and more. Scholarly books and journal articles routinely close with policy recommendations. Yet these recommendations rarely reach politicians. How can academics engage more effectively in the policy process? In Teach Truth to Power, David Garcia offers a how-to guide for scholars and researchers who want to influence education policy, explaining strategies for putting research in a policy context, getting “in the room” where policy happens, finding unexpected allies, interacting with politicians, and more. Countering conventional wisdom about research utilization (also referred to as knowledge mobilization), Garcia explains that engaging in education policy is not a science, it is a craft—a combination of acquired knowledge and intuition that must be learned
£21.75
MIT Press Ltd The Real World of College What Higher Education
Book SynopsisWhy higher education in the United States has lost its way, and how universities and colleges can focus sharply on their core mission.For The Real World of College, Wendy Fischman and Howard Gardner analyzed in-depth interviews with more than 2,000 students, alumni, faculty, administrators, parents, trustees, and others, which were conducted at ten institutions ranging from highly selective liberal arts colleges to less-selective state schools. What they found challenged characterizations in the media: students are not preoccupied by political correctness, free speech, or even the cost of college. They are most concerned about their GPA and their resumes; they see jobs and earning potential as more important than learning. Many say they face mental health challenges, fear that they don’t belong, and feel a deep sense of alienation. Given this daily reality for students, has higher education lost its way? Fischman and Gardner contend that US universities and
£20.70
Open University Press Action Research for Educational Change
Book SynopsisThis book is concerned with action research as a form of teacher professional development. In it, John Elliot traces the historical emergence and current significance of action research in schools. He examines action research as a "cultural innovation" with transformative possibilities for both the professional culture of teachers and teacher educators in academia and explores how action research can be a form of creative resistance to the technical rationality underpinning government policy. He explains the role of action research in the specific contexts of the national curriculum, teacher appraisal and competence-based teacher training.Trade Review"This is a most stimulating book which should be prescribed reading for any serious student of education and those involved in the management of policy and effective schooling." - Educational Research "Elliott...sticks to the enduring issues of teachers needing to research their own classrooms and schools, using a variety of approaches, so that they can base changes on a proper study of purpose and process, after considering the documents, the strategies, the real and apparent precepts on which decisions are being made. It is much more timeless and less transient. Good for him." - T.E.S. "Anybody interested in reading an antidote to presently received wisdom on the 'self evaluating' school, should read John Elliott's book." - Journal of Education for Teaching: International Research and Pedagogy "This book is essential reading for teachers." - Journal of Teacher Development "For the research teacher-student this book is invaluable." - Headlines: Journal of the Secondary Heads AssociationTable of ContentsPart 1 Action research and professional learningteachers as researchers - an historical and biographical contextsupporting professional learning through action research - three case studiesPart 2 Action research - dilemmas and innovationthe theory/practice problemthe fundamental characteristics of action researchthe dilemmas and temptations of the reflective practitionera practical guide to action researchPart 3 Action research in policy contextsaction research and the emergence of teacher appraisal in the UKcompetency based training and the education of the professions - is a happy marriage possible ?the national curriculum and models of curriculum development
£29.44
Open University Press PUPIL AS SCIENTIST
Book SynopsisThe Pupil as Scientist intends to give teachers and student teachers a better understanding of the thinking of young adolescent pupils in science lessons and to indicate the difficulties such pupils have in understanding the more abstract or formal ideas with which they are presented. It is practical in its orientation as the issues discussed are illustrated with examples drawn from dialogue and observations made in science classes.One of Rosalind Driver's main themes is that science teachers must recognise more fully and act upon the preconceptions and alternative frameworks which pupils bring to their study of science.Despite is practical orientation, the book addresses some fundamental questions arguing for a reappraisal of science teaching in secondary schools in the light of developments in cognitive psychology and philosophy of science.This is an accessible, authoritative and very helpful book for all concerned with the teaching of science in the secondaryTable of ContentsThe fallacy of induction in science teaching; learning to observe; making meanings; children's beliefs and classroom learning; invention and imagination; learning science and theories of cognitive development; logic and intuition in children's thinking; from theory to practice; appendix.
£28.49
Open University Press CHILDRENS IDEAS IN SCIENCE
Book SynopsisChildren arrive in their science classrooms with their own ideas and interpretations of the phenomena they are to study even when they have received no systematic instruction in these subjects whatsoever. These ideas and interpretations are a natural result of everyday experience - of practical physical activities, of talking with other people, and of the media.This book documents and explores the ideas of school students (aged 10-16) about a range of natural phenomena such as light, heat, force and motion, the structure of matter and electricity. It also examines how students' conceptions change and develop with teaching.The editors have brought together science educators who come from different parts of the work but whose work is focused on the same determination to bring insight into the conceptual world of children in science classrooms - insight which will be helpful in making science teaching and learning more rewarding for teachers and children alike.Table of ContentsChildren's ideas and the learning of science; light; electricity in simple circuits; heat and temperature; force and motion; the gaseous state; beyond appearances - the conservation of matter under physical and chemical transformations; the Earth as a cosmic body; some main features in children's ideas and implications for teaching.
£28.49
Open University Press Understanding and Facilitating Adult Learning
Book SynopsisThis book provides a critical examination of the myths surrounding adult education and its practice.Table of ContentsAdult learners - motives for learning and implications for practice; understanding how adults learn; exploring self-directedness in learning; facilitating self-directed learning; andragogy - alternative interpretations and applications; the facilitator's role in adult learning; learning in informal settings; programme development for adults - challenging the institutional approach; structuring programs around learners' needs and abilities; evaluating learning and its facilitation; facilitating learning - towards guidelines for good practice.
£29.44
Open University Press DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKERS
Book SynopsisThis book introduces critical thinking, looks at general ways in which people can be helped to become critical thinkers and reviews opportunities for developing critical thinking in specific contexts.Table of ContentsPart 1 Understanding critical thinking in adult life: what it means to think critically; recognizing critical thinking; learning to think critically in adult life; how critical thinking sustains a healthy democracy. Part 2 Practical approaches for developing critical thinkers: effective strategies fro facilitating critical thinking; helping others examine the assumptions underlying their thoughts and actions; techniques for developing alternative ways of thinking. Part 3 Helping adults to think critically in different arenas of life: using the workplace as a resource for thinking and learning; analyzing political issues and commitments; developing critical judgements about television reporting; encouraging active learning through personal relationships; being a skilled facilitator of critical thinking. Epilogue: the risks and rewards to helping others learn to think critically. Abbreviations. References. Indexes: name; subject.
£29.44
Open University Press Using Experience For Learning
Book SynopsisWhat are the key ideas that underpin learning from experience? How do we learn from experience? How does context and purpose influence learning? How does experience impact on individual and group learning? How can we help others to learn from their experience? "Using Experience for Learning" reflects current interest in the importance of experience in informal and formal learning, whether it be applied for course credit, new forms of learning in the workplace, or acknowledging autonomous learning outside educational institutions. It also emphasizes the role of personal experience in learning: ideas are not separate from experience; relationships and personal interests impact on learning; and emotions have a vital part to play in intellectual learning. All the contributors write themselves into their chapters, giving an autobiographical account of how their experiences have influenced their learning and what has led them to their current views and practice. "Using ExperiTable of ContentsUnderstanding learning from experiencethrough the lens of learning - how the visceral experience of learning reframes teachingputting the heart back into learningactivating internal processes in experiential learningon becoming a maker of teachersbarriers to reflection on experienceunlearning through experienceexperiential learning at a distancelearning from experience in mathematicshow the T-group changed my life - sociological perspectives on experiential groupworkliving the learning - internalizing our model of group learningexperiential learning and social transformation for a post-apartheid learning futureexperiential learning or learning from experience - does it make a difference?
£35.14
Open University Press EDUCATION REFORM
Book SynopsisThis book builds upon Stephen J Ball's previous work in the field of education policy analysis. It subjects the ongoing reforms in UK education to a rigorous critical interrogation. It takes as its main concerns the introduction of market forces, managerialism and the National Curriculum into the organization of schools and the work of teachers. Ball argues that these reforms are combining to fundamentally reconstruct the work of teaching, to generate and ramify multiple inequalities and to destroy civic virtue in education.The effects of the market and management are not technical and neutral but are essentially political and moral. The reforms taking place in the UK are both a form of cultural and social engineering and an attempt to recreate a fantasy education based upon myths of national identity, consensus and glory. The analysis is founded within policy sociology and employs both ethnographic and post-structuralist methods.Trade Review"Readers interested in methodological and epistemological issues will find this of great interest...For educationalists who are critical of government intervention in education the book provides a powerful analysis of the political underpinning of recent so-called educational reform...A thought provoking book that I enjoyed reading." - Management in Education "The book goes a way towards developing a critical foundation from which to articulate alternative reform agendas...a fine book." - Qualitative Studies in EducationTable of ContentsPost-Structuralism, Ethnography and the Critical Analysis of Educational ReformWhat is/f002 /f001Policy?Texts, Trajectories and ToolboxesEducation, Majorism and the Curriculum of the DeadEducation Policy, Power Relations and Teachers' WorkCost, Culture and ControlSelf Management and Entrepreneurial Schooling'New Headship'Schools Leadership, New Relationships and New TensionsEducation Markets, Choice and Social ClassThe Market as a Class Strategy in the UK and USCompetitive SchoolingValues, Ethics and Cultural EngineeringReferencesIndex
£32.29
Open University Press Education and the Struggle for Democracy
Book SynopsisDuring the past decade there has been a series of radical changes to the educational system of England and Wales. This book argues that any serious study of these changes has to engage with complex questions about the role of education in a modern liberal democracy. Were these educational changes informed by the needs and aspirations of a democratic society? To what extent will they promote democratic values and ideals? These questions can only be adequately addressed by making explicit the political ideas and the underlying philosophical principles that have together shaped the English educational system. To this end, the book provides a selective history of English education which exposes the connections between decisive periods of educational change and the intellectual and political climate in which it occurred. It also connects the educational policies of the 1980s and 90s to the political ideas of the New Right in order to show how they are part of a broader political strTrade Review"There have been a few fine books already on this topic...but damned few, and none with the calm detestation of this one with its long, careful historiography, the noble reclamation of the vocabulary of T H Green and R H Tawney, the steadiness once more to use such terms as equality, dignity, and the good society." - T.E.S. "Whatever the route, the debate Carr & Hartnett wishto promote can be welcomed." - British Educational Research JournalTable of ContentsPreface and acknowledgementsIntroduction the politics of educational ideasEducation, politics and societyDemocratic theory and democratic education'Gentling the Masses': the nineteenth century origins of the English education tradition'Secondary Education for All': the struggle for democratic education in twentieth century EnglandThe battle of ideas and the rise of the New Right coalition in EnglandThe New Right offensive and the demise of democratic education in EnglandConclusiondemocratic education in the twenty first century References and BibliographyIndex.
£30.39
Open University Press WHAT IS HISTORY TEACHING
Book Synopsis* How do pupils make sense of the past?* What is the relationship between the way historians construct interpretations of the past and the way pupils learn history in schools?This book draws together developments in a wide range of fields: in academic history, in the study of language and in classroom research on pupil learning, as the basis for a distinctive approach to the teaching and learning of history in school. Chris Husbands analyses four approaches to learning about the past: through looking at evidence, through the language of the past, through story and through the imagination. He emphasises the ways in which pupils and historians structure their own interpretations of history and considers the implications for teachers by examining the ways in which classroom talk, writing and assessment can support the development of sophisticated understandings of the past.Trade Review"Any teacher of history, from primary school to university, can learn much from this articulate book." - Teaching HistoryTable of ContentsIntroductionlearning and the pastConstructing the pastevidence and questionsConstructing the pastlanguage and change Constructing the paststories and narrativesFacts, fictions and imaginationWords and the pastthe place of talkOrganizing ideasthe place of writingMaking judgmentsSo, what /f003is/f001 history?BibliographyIndex.
£26.59
Open University Press GENDERING OF ART EDUCATION
Book SynopsisThis book traces the main gendered themes of modernist art education from the nineteenth century to the present day.In the period of industrial modernization, art education emphasised the importance of productive modes of creativity in 'making and doing' and promoted rational 'design processes' productive of masculine identities.With the decline of industrial production and with the rise in leisure, services and consumption, art education has shifted its relevance to the more feminine skills of flexibility, management, responsiveness and combinatory modes of creativity. The Gendering of Art Education looks at the way art education has always been implicated in producing gendered identities for modernity's gendered divisions of labour.Table of ContentsIntroductionTheoretical perspectivesNineteenth century contextsPsychology in art educationModernist art, and design educationThe feminization of art educationBeyond genderingtactics and strategiesReferencesIndex.
£29.44
Open University Press READ IT TO ME NOW
Book Synopsis* What do young children from different cultural backgrounds learn about reading and writing before they come to school?* How can schools work with parents to incorporate children's pre-school literacy learning into policies for the development of literacy?* What strategies can early years' teachers use to support young children's understanding of the reading process?Read It To Me Now! charts the emergent literacy learning of five four-year old children from different cultural backgrounds in their crucial move from home to school, and demonstrates how children's early understanding of reading and writing is learnt socially and culturally within their family and community. Drawing the children's stories together, Hilary Minns discusses the role of the school in recognizing and developing children's literacy learning, including that of emergent bilingual learners, and in developing genuine home-school links with families. This edition of Read It To Me Now! makesTrade Review"The central message of the book is that it is only by gaining knowledge of children's pre-school experiences with books and print and an idea of how a child 'views the task of learning to read' that schools will then be able to provide the most appropriate support tochildren and parents." -English 4-11Table of ContentsIntroductionPart one: Five childrenGurdeepGemmaAnthonyGeetaReidPart two: Further considerationsLearning to readThe role of story in young children's livesa child's sense of storyReading partnershipsPathways to readingBibliographyIndex.
£28.49
Open University Press Understanding Learning And Teaching
Book SynopsisHow can university teachers improve the quality of student learning? Prosser and Trigwell argue that the answer lies in determining how students perceive their unique learning situations. In doing so they draw upon the considerable body of educational research into student learning in higher education which has been developed and published over the past three decades; and they enable university teachers to research and improve their own teaching.This book outlines the key principles underlying successful teaching and learning in higher education, and is a key resource for all university teachers.Trade Review"Those who read this excellent book will have a firm foundation on which to debate the subject of punishment and formulate theirown views." - The Criminologist "It is the author's ability to build bridges between different theories, and between theories and their practical implications, that makes the book readable, stimulating and relevant for practitioners, academics andstudents alike, and ensures that it will be frequently used for many years by a wide range of readers." - British Journal of Social WorkTable of ContentsForewordPrefaceAcknowledgementsTeaching and learning in higher educationA model for understanding teaching and learning in higher educationStudents' prior experience of learningStudents' perceptions of the learning situationStudents' approaches to learningStudents' learning outcomesExperiences of teaching in higher educationUnderstanding learning and teachingAppendixapproaches to teaching inventoryReferencesIndex.
£37.99
Open University Press Educational Research for Social Justice
Book SynopsisThis is a book for all researchers in educational settings whose research is motivated by considerations of justice, fairness and equity. It addresses questions such researchers have to face. Will a prior political or ethical commitment bias the research? How far can the ideas of empowerment or 'giving a voice' be realised? How can researchers who research communities to which they belong deal with the ethical issues of being both insider and outsider?The book provides a set of principles for doing educational research for social justice. These are rooted in considerations of methodology, epistemology and power relations, and provide a framework for dealing with the practical issues of collaboration, ethics, bias, empowerment, voice, uncertain knowledge and reflexivity, at all stages of research from getting started to dissemination and taking responsibility as members of the wider community of educational researchers.Theoretical arguments and the realities of practicalTrade Review"...insightful and thought-provoking, challenging readers'beliefs about educational practice." - Assessment in EducationTable of ContentsPart one: Introduction and contextTaking sides, getting changeResearch for social justice?some examplesPart two: Theoretical frameworks for practical purposesTruths and methodsFacts and valuespower/knowledgeLiving with uncertainty in educational researchEducational research for social justicea frameworkPart three: Practical possibilitiesGetting startedthe research processGetting justiceempowerment and voiceBetter knowledgeEducational research at largeAppendixReferencesIndex.
£26.59
Open University Press Case Study Research in Educational Settings
Book SynopsisThis book offers new insights into the case study as a tool of educational research and suggests how it can be a prime research strategy for developing educational theory which illuminates policy and enhances practice. Several different kinds of educational case studies are identified, namely: theory-seeking, theory-testing, story-telling, picture-drawing, and evaluative case study and there are substantial examples of each of these. The book develops the author's recent advocacy of fuzzy generalization.Readers are taken through the various stages in conducting case study research, including a helpful account of data collection and data analysis methods. Each stage is underpinned by the concepts of trustworthiness and respect for persons. Structured, narrative and descriptive approaches to writing case study reports are also discussed and the value of conducting an audit is considered.This will be a valuable text for students undertaking Masters and Doctorates iTable of ContentsWhy the educational case study should be reconstructedAn example of a theory-seeking case study leading to fuzzy propositionsWhat is case study?Locating the educational case study on the map of research in educationHow some case study research can be disseminated through fuzzy generalization and professional discourseEducational case study as a prime strategy for developing educational theory which illuminates educational policy and enhances educational practiceMethods of enquiry and the conduct of case study researchAppendicesReferencesIndex.
£28.49
Open University Press Historical Research in Educational Settings
Book Synopsis* What is historical research in education?* How can researchers get started in this area?* Why does this field offer a common project for historians, educationists, and researchers across the social sciences?This book explores how to set about historical research in education. The first general guide of its kind for fifty years, the book locates this field in relation to changes in educational research, historical research, and a wide range of social sciences. It offers a theoretical guide to the rationales and problems of the field as well as to current opportunities for research. It also gives practical advice for getting started and for suitable research methods in different kinds of projects, and in doing so draws critically on extensive international literature. It includes detailed case studies on the following topics in historical research: Curriculum and Classrooms, Foucauldian Interpretations, the 'Alternative Road', Literacy in the Nineteenth Century,Trade Review"I Shall put this valuable study into the hands of any of my students writing on historical topics in education, since it is an intelligent, scholarly and eminently sensible introduction to the kind of methodological issues it is actually helpful to address - David PhillipsTable of ContentsAcknowledgementsGlossary of termsGetting startedWhat the textbooks say and what they don'tHistory or education?The challenge of the social sciencesUsing published sourcesMethodological issuesDesigning and carrying out a research projectReferencesIndex.
£25.64
Open University Press Whats worth fighting for in Education
Book Synopsis"This book is a welcome addition to the "What's Worth Fighting For?" series by two highly respected authors. It contains practical advice to help prepare the teaching profession for a future which is already here and in which the context for teaching and learning will shed the 19th century factory model on which our schools are based. Headteachers and their teacher colleagues will want to be at the forefront of preparing consciously for the future rather than finding themselves as passive recipients of change and this book provides a guide for that journey."- Rowie Shaw, NAHTIn this book, Andy Hargreaves and Michael Fullan argue that in a world of growing complexity and rapid change, it is vital to forge strong, open and interactive relationships with communities beyond schools in order to bring about significant improvements in teaching and learning within schools. Now, more than ever, it is necessary to rediscover the passion and moral purpose that makes teaching and lTrade Review"This book is a welcome addition to the "What's WorthFighting For?" series by two highly respected authors. It contains practical advice to help prepare the teaching profession for a future which is already here and in which the context for teaching and learning will shed the 19th century factory model on which our schools are based. Teachers will want to be at the forefront of preparing consciously for the future rather than finding themselves as passive recipients of change and this book provides a guide for that journey." - Rowie Shaw, NAHTTable of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgementsWhat's out theredefining the problemGoing deeperpurpose, passion and hopeGoing widerreframing relationships beyond the schoolGetting out thereguidelines for actionReferences.
£24.69
Open University Press Policy Research in Educational Settings
Book SynopsisThis book argues for independent, critical research on education policy in the context of attacks on the quality and usefulness of educational research in general. It takes issue with the argument, promoted bygovernment departments and agencies that education policy research should be limited to work that assists policy-makers. Against this position, the book advocates independent, critical research that scrutinizes policy in relation to its consequences for equality and social justice. It argues that practitioners and academic researchers should form a research community that develops its own knowledge base from which so-called evidence based policymaking in education may be assessed and challenged. The book offers guidance on the theoretical and methodological resources available to practitioners and others with an interest in doing research on policy and discusses some of the main issues and problems in doing policy research on education. It offers examples of research oTable of ContentsResearching education policysome argumentsTeachers as a policy case in education researchTheory, values and policy research in educationThe context of policy researchResources for policy researchHistory and policy research in educationConclusioncontesting the future?BibliographyIndex.
£27.54
Open University Press RATIONING EDUCATION
Book Synopsis"This research should make us extremely sceptical that the constant search for 'higher standards' and for ever-increasing achievement scores can do much more than put in place seemingly neutral devices for restratification." - Michael W Apple, John Bascom Professor of Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Policy Studies, University of Wisconsin, MadisonRecent educational reforms have raised standards of achievement but have also resulted in growing inequalities based on 'race' and social class. School-by-school 'league tables' play a central role in the reforms. These have created an A-to-C economy where schools and teachers are judged on the proportion of students attaining five or more grades at levels A-to-C. To satisfy these demands schools are embracing new and ever more selective attempts to identify 'ability'. Their assumptions and practices embody a new IQism: a simple , narrow and regressive ideology of intelligence that labels working class and minority students Table of ContentsEducation and equityReforming educationpolicy and practiceAbility and economy'intelligence' and the A-to-C economySelection 11 to 14fast groups, 'left over' mixed ability and the optionsSelection 14 to 16 setting, tiering, hidden ceilings and floorsEducational triage and the D-to-C conversionsuitable cases for treatment?Pupil perspectivesConclusionsrationing educationNotesReferencesIndex.
£33.24
Open University Press Supporting Identity Diversity and Language in the
Book SynopsisThis book provides the main ingredients for professional development in working with young children in a diverse society. It fills the gap that most early years training neglects, that is, how to work with children in developing a positive disposition towards themselves regardless of their differences. By helping children to develop a strong self-identity and good self-esteem we set the foundations for positive attitudes towards others and towards learning. Practical advice, real examples and staff activities bring the book to life. The book provides clear evidence and practical guidance on how to develop young children's emerging language, especially those children who have English as an additional language, and how to generate, activate and assess curriculum for diversity. The book focuses on all children's learning for cultural diversity. Culture is used as a broad term to include language, ethnicity, social class and gender. Each chapter offers a clear combination of theory and praTable of ContentsSeries editor's prefaceIdentity, self-esteem and learningLanguage acquisition and diversityLanguage development and bilingualismDiversity and the curriculumParents as partnersPlanning and evaluating for equity and diversityResourcesReferencesIndex.
£28.49
Open University Press Understanding Designing and Conducting
Book Synopsis How do I get my research off the ground and ensure that it is 'new', 'novel' and 'important'? How do I make sense of data, build theories and write a compelling thesis? How can my research bring about change? This book is more than an introduction to doing research - it helps readers identify what is new and important about their project, how their research relates to previous work and how it may be used to bring about change at individual, community, national or even international levels. A total strategy is offered focussing on the notion of the 'project' as an organising framework that ensures that the methods chosen are appropriate to the subject and aim of the study. The intention throughout is to help readers move from being able to apply methods to being able to interrogate the theoretical underpinnings of particular perspectives so that they can feel confident about the particular kinds of knowledge claim they are making. The book is important rTable of ContentsIntroductionFinding bearingsSubjectschoices and consequencesThe otherits objects and objectivityHandling complexity and uncertaintySense and nonsensebraving the postmodern, broaching the novelBeing shy of the truthFraming texts and evidencecon/texts, intertextuality and rhetoricFraming ethics and political issuesFraming ethical actionsWriting itConclusionReferencesIndex.
£28.49
Open University Press Language and Literacy in Science Education
Book SynopsisScience in secondary schools has tended to be viewed mainly as a 'practical subject', and language and literacy in science education have been neglected. But learning the language of science is a major part of science education: every science lesson is a language lesson, and language is a major barrier to most school students in learning science. This accessible book explores the main difficulties in the language of science and examines practical ways to aid students in retaining, understanding, reading, speaking and writing scientific language.Jerry Wellington and Jonathan Osborne draw together and synthesize current good practice, thinking and research in this field. They use many practical examples, illustrations and tried-and-tested materials to exemplify principles and to provide guidelines in developing language and literacy in the learning of science. They also consider the impact that the growing use of information and communications technology has had, and will have, on wriTrade Review"This book is a must for teachers in training as well as those colleagues already practicing. The book is just as useful to primary teachers as it is to the targeted market of secondary science teachers." - Len NewtonTable of ContentsAcknowledgementsIntroductionthe importance of language in science educationLooking at the language of scienceTalk of the classroomlanguage interactions between teachers and pupilsLearning from readingWriting for learning in scienceDiscussion in school sciencelearning science through talkingWriting text for learning sciencePractical ploys for the classroomLast thoughts...ReferencesAppendixIndex.
£28.49
Open University Press Experiencing Reggio Emilia
Book SynopsisEarly Education, internationally, is the focus of much challenge and debate. Various approaches to teaching young children are being developed and advocated, but the focus is often on curriculum content with the processes of learning as a secondary issue. The most important consideration in early education is the way in which young children learn. Their transferable skills of communication, collaboration and investigation can underpin all aspects of learning. These elements form the main focus of work in a group of pre-schools in an area of Northern Italy which has earned an international reputation for innovative practice and pedagogy.The experience of Reggio Emilia, in providing challenges to accepted approaches to early childhood education in many countries, is widely acknowledged. Since 1963, when the Italian municipality of Reggio Emilia began setting up its network of educational services for 0-6 year olds, the 'Reggio Approach' has gained worldwide recognition. Numerous Table of ContentsAcknowledgementsPrefaceExperiencing Reggio EmiliaPerceptions of play: a question of prioritiesListening and learningThe role of the pedagogistaSunniva's extra pocket: a parent's reflectionsSam's invisible extra gear: a parent's viewSpecial needs or special rights?: A question of inclusionCreating places for living and learning'She's back!' the impact of my visit to Reggio Emilia on a group of three and four year oldsJourneying above the 'sea of fog': reflections on personal professional development inspired by ReggioA journey into realityCreating a palette of opportunities: situations of learning in the early yearsThe otherness of ReggioQuestions and challenges: continuing the dialogueIndex.
£24.69
Open University Press Life History Research in Educational Settings
Book SynopsisIt has long been recognised that life history method has a great deal to offer to those engaged in social research. Indeed, right from the start of the twentieth century, eminent sociologists such as W.I. Thomas, C. Wright Mills and Herbert Blumer have suggested that it is the best, the perfect, approach for studying any aspect of social life. In recent years, life history has become increasingly popular with researchers investigating educational topics of all kinds, including: teachers' perceptions and experiences of different areas of their lives and careers; curriculum and subject development; pedagogical practice; and managerial concerns. Life History Research in Educational Settings sets out to explore and consider the various reasons for this popularity and makes the case that the approach has a major and unique contribution to make to understandings of schools, schooling and educational experience however characterised. The book draws extensively on examples of life history reseTable of ContentsIntroductionDeveloping life historiesTechniques for doing life historyWhat have you got when you've got a life story?epistemological considerationsStudying teachers' life histories and professional practiceLife stories and social contextstorylines and scriptsQuestions of ethics and power in life history researchConfronting the dilemmasBibliographyIndex.
£24.69
Open University Press LISTENING TO STEPHEN READ
Book SynopsisâœIn this interesting, informative and accessible book Kathy Hall takes you on a journey of exploration and discovery and succeeds in challenging the readerâs own stance on the teaching, not only of reading, but also of literacy as a whole.â an excellent, thought-provoking book which empowers the reader to critically reassess their own practice and will have a positive effect in many classroomsâ British Journal of Educational Studies* How do different reading experts interpret evidence about one child as a reader?* What perspectives can be brought to bear on reading in the classroom?* How can a rich notion of literacy be promoted in the regular primary classroom?In this book Kathy Hall invites you to extend your perspective on reading by considering the responses of well known reading scholars (e.g. Barbara Comber, Henrietta Dombey, Laura Huxford and David Wray) to evidence of one child as a reader. Reading evidence from eight-year-old Stephen, Table of ContentsIntroductionPart one: A psycho-linguistic perspectiveAnn Browne's observations, suggestions and theoretical perspectivesTeresa Grainger's observations, suggestions and theoretical perspectivesReading as a problem-solving activityPart two: A cognitive-psychological perspectiveLaura Huxford's observations, suggestions and theoretical perspectivesDavid Wray's observations, suggestions and theoretical perspectivesWords matterPart three: A socio-cultural perspectiveHenrietta Dombey's observations, suggestions and theoretical perspectivesMary Hilton's observations, suggestions and theoretical perspectivesReading and communities of practicePart four: A socio-political perspectiveBarbara Comber's observations, suggestions and theoretical perspectivesJackie Marsh's observations, suggestions and theoretical perspectivesReading the word and the worldConclusionBibliographyIndex.
£25.64
Open University Press Narratives and Fictions in Educational Research
Book Synopsis"In this bold and very important work, Peter Clough shows how the truths about educational issues can be told using fictional devices. This work legitimates the narrative turn in the human disciplines. He shows educational researchers how narrative inquiry can be used for progressive moral and political purposes". -Norman K. Denzin, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignThis compelling book takes a fresh approach to educational research, considering the role and use of literary and ethnographic approaches. There is growing interest in the use of narrative and fictional methods and this book sets out to:* locate narrative and fictional methods within the traditions of education research;* exemplify the use of narrative in studies of educational and social settings; * explain the processes of composing narrative and fictional researchA distinctive feature of the book is the inclusion of five 'fictional' stories which demonstrate the use of Table of ContentsPrefaceThe man with the blue guitarStories from educational researchan introductionThe map is not the terrainKlausMollyRobBevLolly (the final word)Hard to tellthe readings of the storiesNarratives of educational practiceTo the things themselvesReferencesIndex.
£24.69
Open University Press ACTIVIST TEACHING PROFESSION
Book Synopsis"This is a thoughtful, provocative and important book. Clear, concise, articulate and pulling no punches, Judyth Sachs maps out an agenda for a new 'transformative professionalism' which celebrates the complexities of teacher' identities and work, and acknowledges the tensions between standards of accountability and autonomy. She argues persuasively for a reorientation of policy from managerial to a democratic and radical reconceptualisation of teacher education programmes and notions of teacher professionalism. Her text, richly supported by case studies of practice, will appeal to teachers and teacher educators worldwide who are committed to principles of active participation, trust and community." - Professor Chris W. Day, University of Nottingham* What forms of professionalism are shaping the teaching profession?* How can the concept of teacher professionalism be revitalized so that it is relevant to the needs and aspirations of teachers working in increasingly diTable of ContentsSeries editor's prefaceTeacher professionalism in transitionRethinking the practice of teacher professionalismThe politics of professionalismPreparing activist teacher professionalsTeacher research for professional renewalProfessional in practiceNew professional identities for new timesThe activist teacher professionalReferencesIndex.
£27.54
Open University Press STARTING SCHOOL
Book Synopsis"This is a unique portrait of a group of working-class families whose 4 year old children start school on the cusp of the millenium in urban Britain. It is a brilliant analysis of ways in which parents, children and teachers strive to cross cultural and linguistic boundaries to come to a common understanding of 'school'. Beautifully written, it is essential reading for all involved in the education of young children." - Eve Gregory, Professor of Language and Culture in Education, Goldsmiths, University of London."This book will challenge and support practitioners in their quest to improve early childhood practice. The use of theory is 'friendly' and the real-life examples of the experiences of young children and their parents really bring home to the reader the experience of inequality. Readers will rarely find a book which expresses the complexity of educational experience in such an accessible form. This is a valuable book for every level of early years training." - Iram SiraTrade Review"...a balanced, finely observed and elegantly written book. Liz Broker challenges us to move towards a jointly owned culture in the classroom and school through working with families and communities and not only with the children." - Eve BearneTable of ContentsLearning cultures in All Saints' EndFamily values, and the value of familiesLearning how to learn at homeSchool culture at All Saints' PrimaryLearning to be a pupilLinking home and schoollearning to be a parentOutcomeschildren's progress and achievementsUnderstanding outcomes; changing practiceGlossaryReferencesIndex.
£26.59
Open University Press Playwork Theory and Practice
Book Synopsis"[An] excellent book... With its breadth of discourse, it held my attention throughout. ... This book is informative, but also challenges views on the play experience and the playwork profession. It will be of interest to all those that work and play with young children. The place of playwork and playworkers... is described with passion: readers cannot help but be totally absorbed by this book." Early Years, Vol 24, No 1, March 2004Children learn and develop through their play. In today's world the opportunities for that to happen are increasingly restricted. The profession of playwork seeks to reintroduce such opportunities, and so enable children to achieve their full potential.This book brings together many leading names in the playwork field, to produce a text that has something for everyone. The in-depth exploration of a range of theoretical perspectives will appeal to both playwork students and practising playworkers. Experienced practitioners offer sounTrade Review"I would recommend it to experienced practitioners and playwork students, who seek to expand, update and challenge their current theoretical knowledge. There's plenty to stimulate the reflective playworker." - Miranda WalkerTable of ContentsIntroductionPart one: The roots of play and playworkThe essence of playMaking play workthe fundamental role of play in the development of social relationship skillsTowards playworkan historical introduction to children's out-of-school play organizations in London (1860-1940)Part two: Theories of playworkCompound flexibilitythe role of playwork in child developmentPlay deprivation, play bias and playwork practiceTowards a psycholudic definition of playworkPart three: Putting theory into practice - the reflective practitionerProfessional playwork practiceAdventure playgrounds in the 21st centuryEstablishing play in a local authorityIt's not what you know, but who you know!Playwork in adversityworking with abandoned childrenPlaywork as reflective practiceBibliographyIndex.
£25.64
Open University Press WE DONT PLAY WITH GUNS HERE
Book Synopsis "A significant contribution to the continuing exploration of the issues surrounding the learning potential of young children's play. Holland's writing is engaging, her subject is of considerable interest, and her approach succeeds in challenging many of the taken-for-granted assumptions in several areas of the debate. Early childhood educators, those preparing to become early childhood educators, and those who accompany them on this journey will find much that is worthwhile and provocative in this book." Discourse"This book will be a valuable support to all practitioners who do not enjoy 'policing' children's play themes." Nursery World War, weapon and superhero play has been banned in many early childhood settings for over 30 years. This book explores the development and application of a zero tolerance approach through the eyes of children and practitioners. The author challenges the key rationale for linking aggressive play themes to violent behaTable of ContentsSeries editor's prefaceIntroductionZero tolerance of war, weapon and superhero play: where does it come from and why do we do it?Boys will be boys and girls will sit nicelyThe power of imaginationRelaxing zero tolerance: the experience of one settingThe bigger picture: a summary of findings from 13 settings where zero tolerance has been relaxedWar, weapon and superhero play: what does it look like?ConclusionBibliographyIndex
£29.44
Open University Press Supporting Inclusion in the Early Years
Book SynopsisThis accessible text provides guidance on the inclusion of young children with special educational needs or disabilities in a variety of early education settings. The author highlights the complexity of early identification and assessment of children described as having special educational needs. Practitioners are encouraged to consider make exclusion visible and consider important questions relating to the language and values underpinning the early years policy and practice. The emphasis is on inclusion as a process aimed at supporting young children and their families in order to enable all children with SEN or disabilities the opportunity to participate in activities available to all children in an inclusive learning environment. The author promotes the development of inclusive early years cultures where inclusion of all children is regarded as a right rather than an option. The text has implications for the teaching and learning of all young children not only those perceived as havTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1Labels, language and inclusion Chapter 2Early identification and assessment Chapter 3A graduated model of assessment and provision Chapter 4The Changing Role of the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) Chapter 5Developing inclusive policy and practice Chapter 6Parents, children and professionals working together Chapter 7Beyond the Paintpots : Inclusion and Learning Support Assistants Useful Addresses References
£26.59
Open University Press Shaping Early Childhood Learners Curriculum and
Book Synopsis"This should be essential reading for anyone involved in the training and professional development of early years practitioners... It is an impressive analysis of the historical and contemporary 'big ideas' that have influenced societies ' and practitioners' views of children and the nature of the curriculum.There are powerful sections on parents and communities ... I particularly liked the stimulating 'ideas galleries' with their statements from researchers, policy-makers and practitioners around the world." Nursery World, October 2004This key textbook introduces students and practitioners to a wide range of different approaches to early childhood. It provides practical strategies for developing and implementing early learning experiences that promote excellence and equity for children.The book presents the latest research and thinking about good practice, discusses how various philosophies and beliefs influence decisions in early childhood education, and idTable of ContentsForewordAcknowledgementsIntroductionPART 1: Models of the learnerReflecting on the learnerModels of the learner: Conforming to nature, conforming to cultureModels of the learner: reforming through interaction between nature and cultureModels of the learner: Transforming culture and natureModels of the learner: Critical reflectionsPART 2: Positions on the early childhood curriculumReflecting on the early childhood curriculumCurriculum position: conforming to societyCurriculum position: reforming societyCurriculum position: transforming societyCurriculum positions: critical reflectionsPART 3: Curriculum contextsReflecting on contextsCurriculum contexts: parents and communitiesCurriculum contexts: becoming an early childhood professionalCurriculum contexts: critical reflectionsReferencesIndex
£29.44
Open University Press MY RIGHT TO PLAY
Book Synopsis "Robert Orr... has achieved the balance of evidenced-based practice with the integration of the concept of ordinariness. This work is a must for not only those working with children with an expressed extra special need, but also all nurses who work with people who have a learning disability." Helen Laverty, Health Lecturer, University of Nottingham "This is a slim, accessible and powerful read with a refreshing message... I strongly recommend this as a thoughtful, poignant and often humorous read for all people working with or caring for children, young people and adults with complex needs." PHLD Link "innovative and bold... A wide range of ideas and opinions are introduced at a good pace, and the writing is elegant and engaging - sure to be attractive to a wide range of readers. ...Robert Orr...stimulated us to think in a new way about how some people with complex needs may or may not view the world...My Right to Play will be a valuable addition toTable of ContentsIntroduction My secure base A sense of time A sense of place A sense of others A sense of order A sense of space A sense of belonging A sense of occasion A sense of control A sense of position A sense of texture A sense of holding A sense of smell A sense of sign A sense of hearing A sense of movement A sense of far away A sense of mortality A sense of seeing A sense of location A sense of body A sense of ageing Appendix References Index.
£23.74
Open University Press Building Leadership Capacity for School
Book Synopsis* What form of leadership promotes school improvement?* How do schools build leadership capacity?* How do schools sustain improvement in changing times?This book offers a new perspective on the relationship between leadership and school improvement. It emphasises the importance of maximising the leadership capabilities of all those within the organization and offers guidance about the way in which this is achieved. Whilst drawing upon the latest research evidence concerning schools improvement, it is intended to be a practical guide to building leadership capacity and is written primarily for those working in schools. Through case study illustrations Alma Harris and Linda Lambert demonstrate how leadership capacity can be built in schools in very different contexts. Practical material is provided to assist schools in generating the internal capacity for change and development. The central message of this book is one of investing in leadership at all levels withiTable of ContentsPrefaceForeword by David Jackson (NCSL)IntroductionWhat is leadership capacity?Capacity building connects with leadershipBuilding leadership capacity: The role of the headHow to build leadership capacity: Manor Primary SchoolHow to build leadership capacity: Rookwood Comprehensive SchoolHow to build leadership capacity: Highfields SchoolBuilding leadership capacity for sustained school improvementBuilding leadership capacity for school improvement: The role of the LEABuilding leadership capacity for school improvement: The role of professional developmentQuestions and a few answers AppendicesBibliographyIndex.
£23.74
Open University Press Education and Theory Strangers in Paradigms
Book Synopsis'... a masterpiece ... long overdue' Professor Judy Sebba, University of Sussex and member of 2008 RAE panel for Education "This is an exceptional book - and one that should be essential reading for anyone seriously thinking about educational practice - for two reasons. First, it is one of the few books on thinking about education which is written with the wit and humour which makes compulsive reading. Second, the approach to theory (or thinking systematically, philosophically and evidentially) is through the author's own attempt to understand what appears to many as a mystery. In this personal journey, the author provides a comprehensive and critical review of different theoretical positions."Professor Richard Pring, University of Oxford What is the role of theory in education? Does the pursuit of theory in education always lead to improvements in practice? What is the alternative to theory? Theory holds a central place inTable of ContentsPrefaceJourneys to understanding theoryWhat’s the use of theory in education?Where’s the Theory? Behind you! (Oh no it isn’t!)Theory and the rational mindTheory’s spell – on qualitative inquiry and educational research The use and abuse of ‘theory’: grounded theory Less theory: fewer rules, more thinkingReferences
£28.49
Open University Press Meaning Making in Secondary Science Classrooms
Book SynopsisThis book focuses on the talk of science classrooms and in particular on the ways in which the different kinds of interactions between teachers and students contribute to meaning making and learning. Central to the text is a new analytical framework for characterising the key features of the talk of school science classrooms. This framework is based on sociocultural principles and links the work of theorists such as Vygotsky and Bakhtin to the day-to-day interactions of contemporary science classrooms. *presents a framework, based on sociocultural theory, for analysing the language of teaching and learning interactions in science classrooms*provides detailed examples and illustrations of insights gained from applying the framework to real science lessons in Brazil and the UK.*demonstrates how these ways of thinking about classroom talk can be drawn upon to inform the professional development of science teachers.*offers an innovative research methodology, based on Table of ContentsForeword by James V. WertschDoing and talking school scienceTeaching science, learning scienceCapturing and characterising the talk of school scienceFrom everyday to scientific ideasa teaching and learning performanceStruggling to come to terms with the scientific storyLooking back...looking forwardAppendixBibliographyIndex.
£30.39
Open University Press The Ethical Teacher
Book SynopsisThis book presents the concept of ethical knowledge as it is revealed, as it is challenged, and as it may be used in schools. The book combines empirical expressions of teachers' beliefs and practices with a discussion of the connections between the moral dimensions of schooling and applied professional ethics in teaching: Ethical knowledge relies on the teacher's awareness, understanding, and acceptance of the demands of moral agency. Ethical knowledge is compromised by moral dilemmas and complexities that routinely challenge teachers. Moral tensions may be eased by three avenues of renewal based on heightened attention to ethical knowledge: a renewed sense of teacher professionalism, renewed school cultures, and renewed teacher education and professional learning. The Ethical Teacher is for teachers and teacher educators and for those who conduct research about their worlds.Table of ContentsPrefacePart one: Moral agency and ethical knowledgeIntroduction to ethics in teachingThe teacher as a moral personThe teacher as a moral educatorPart two: Challenges to ethical professionalismDilemmas in teachingCollegial fearthe dilemmas withinPart three: Ethical directionsStandards and codesLearning to create an ethical cultureUsing ethical knowledge to inform practiceBibliographyIndex.
£30.39
Open University Press Supporting Musical Development in the Early Years
Book SynopsisThis important book provides practical guidance for parents, teachers and other early years practitioners who are concerned with young children's musical development. The authors highlight the relationship between music and the development of communication, the expression of emotion and playfulness. They show how these three elements, in conjunction with musical activity and experience, underpin all future learning including the development of language. They go on to explore music as a subject in its own right and its role in supporting other areas of the curriculum.Insights from a wide range of research are presented in a way which makes them accessible to practitioners so that they can be used to inform and develop effective practice. Practitioners and parents are encouraged to have confidence in their own musical ability.The book provides a wide range of practical strategies and activities. It will show that everyone is capable of enjoying making music with young chiTrade Review"...another wonderfully supportive and thoughtful book in the 'Supporting Early Learning' series." - Chris HarrisonTable of ContentsIntroductionBorn musicalThe music curriculumMusic across the curriculumA music-rich environmentIntervention, observing, planning and evaluatingReferencesIndex.
£26.59
Open University Press Interviewing and Representation in Qualitative
Book SynopsisToo often interviewing is seen as simply a tool for data collection, while in reality it is a complex, subtle process that cannot be separated from the dynamic of the project or from the multiple and changing contexts of everyday life. In posing the question, âœwhat is research for?â, Interviewing and Representation in Qualitative Research explores the processes of interviewing as itself a project intimately involved in contemporary debates around knowledge, freedom, power, ethics, modernism postmodernism, and globalisation. What makes the book distinctive is its focus on interviewing not just as a tool to be used within other frameworks such as case study, action research, evaluation and surveys, but as an approach to organise a project as a whole, to provide frameworks for organising perspectives on the multiple âworldsâ of everyday life. It is argued that every project, every methodology, every theoretical perspective has its own rhetorical framework that interacts with thTable of ContentsCONTENTS Introduction Chapter 1 The interview in the project context Chapter 2 Language as Method. As model, As World Chapter 3 Doing the Inter-view Chapter 4 Interpreting, Understanding, Explaining Chapter 5 Positioning Subjects, Framing Selves, Making Worlds Chapter 6 Mapping The Politics: a rhetoric of circumstances, motives and action Chapter 7 Truth, Witness and betrayal: The ethical framing of interview based research Chapter 8 From Anecdote to Narrative Case Studies Chapter 9 From Interviews to Writing Conclusion
£27.54
Open University Press Learning without Limits
Book Synopsis"The style and language used by the authors make the book readable and therefore a book that practising teachers can actively use as a guide to improve their practice ...it is amply demonstrated that teaching can and should be an activity whose primary focus is to enhance students' learning capacity and not limit it." Journal of Inservice Education Why do some teachers insist on teaching without recourse to judgements about ability? What are the key principles on which they draw as they organize and provide for learning? What is the significance of their alternative approach for classrooms in the 21st century? This book explores ways of teaching that are free from determinist beliefs about ability. In a detailed critique of the practices of ability labelling and ability-focussed teaching, Learning without Limits examines the damage these practices can do to young people, teachers and the curriculum. Drawing on a research project aTable of ContentsForeword by Clyde Chitty Acknowledgements Part one: Beyond ability-based teaching and learningChapter 1: Ability, educability and the current improvement agendaChapter 2: What's wrong with ability labelling?Chapter 3: The Learning Without Limits project: methods and approaches.Part two: Accounts of the teachers' practicesIntroductionChapter 4: Anne's approach: 'They all have their different ways to go'.Chapter 5: Claire's approach: 'a thinking classroom'.Chapter 6: Alison's approach: 'an open invitation.'Chapter 7: Narinder's approach: 'the promise of tomorrow.'Chapter 8: Patrick's approach: 'only connect.'Chapter 9: Nicky's approach: 'Step back and look at the children.'Chapter 10: Yahi's approach: 'raising the level of trust.'Chapter 11: Julie's approach: 'access, security, success.'Chapter 12: Non's approach: 'the bridge between values and practice.'Part three: the core idea of transformability.Chapter 13: Transforming the capacity to learn.Chapter 14: Purposes and principles in practice.Chapter 15: Young people's perspectives on learning without limits.Chapter 16: Framing learning without limits teaching: contexts and retrospectives.Chapter 17: Towards an alternative improvement agenda. Bibliography.
£29.44
Open University Press ELearning Groups and Communities
Book Synopsis How can we design networked e-learning courses to ensure students participate in them and engage in quality learning outcomes? What happens in an e-learning course that is designed to foster group work and a sense of âcommunityâ? How can we research e-learning practice in ways that will enhance the processes of learning and teaching? This book outlines approaches to networked e-learning course design that are underpinned by a belief that students learn best in these contexts when they are organised in groups and communities. As such, the book is one of the first to provide a detailed analysis of what goes on in e-learning groups and communities. But how do students react to working in e-learning groups and communities? What determines their willingness to adopt new forms of learning in order to participate in these new courses? What actually happens in an e-learning community, and what impact does this have on students and tutors? This book examines Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction1 Designing for e-groups and communities: theoretical and conceptual Issues 2 Design principles: a model 3 The experience of e-learning groups and communities 4 Assessing learning in e-groups and communities 5 Assessment: the view from inside 6 Problem-solving and action research in communities of practice 7 Group dynamics: a view from the inside 8 Understanding groups, communities and learning technologies BibliographyIndex
£35.14
Open University Press Engaging the Curriculum
Book SynopsisThere is greater interest than ever before in higher education: more money is being spent on it, more students are registered and more courses are being taught. And yet the matter that is arguably at the heart of higher education, the curriculum, is noticeable for its absence in public debate and in the literature on higher education. This book begins to redress the balance. Even though the term âcurriculumâ may be missing from debates on higher education, curricula are changing rapidly and in significant ways. What we are seeing, therefore, is curriculum change by stealth, in which curricula are being reframed to enable students to acquire skills that have market value. In turn, curricula are running the risk of fragmenting as knowledge and skills exert their separate claims. Such a fragmented curriculum is falling well short of the challenges of the twenty-first century. A complex and uncertain world requires curricula in which students as human beings are placed at their centrTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction Part I:The Possibility of Curriculum1. Curriculum: a missing term 2. Understanding curriculum 3. Higher education for an age of uncertainty4. Framing curriculum Part II: Signs of Curriculum Life5. A schema 6. Knowing 7. Acting 8. Being Part III: Prospects for Engagement9. Engaging the Curriculum 10. Engaging Students 11. Engaging Academics Summary and ReflectionsAppendicesBibliographySubject IndexAuthor IndexThe Society for Research into Higher Education
£35.14
Open University Press Assessment for Learning
Book Synopsis"This is a surprising and welcome book... a heartening read that shows the power of assessment for learning and the potential for academics and teachers jointly to put into practice ideas that can improve classroom learning and teaching."TES The starting point of this book was the realisation that research studies worldwide provide hard evidence that development of formative assessment raises students' test scores. The significant improvement in the achievements of the students in this project confirms this research, while providing teachers, teacher trainers, school heads and others leaders with ideas and advice for improving formative assessment in the classroom.Assessment for Learning is based on a two-year project involving thirty-six teachers in schools in Medway and Oxfordshire. After a brief review of the research background and of the project itself, successive chapters describe the specific practices which teachers found fruitful and the undTable of ContentsIntroduction: Why study this book?The source of the ideasHow teachers developed the ideas with usPutting the ideas into practiceLooking at practice more deeplyChanging yourselfManagement and supportThe end - and a beginningIndex
£30.39
