There have been recent calls for a royal commission (RC) on the British National Health Service (NHS). This article focuses on the impact of RCs and similar advisory bodies, particularly on finance recommendations, of three inquiries with broad remits across the whole of the NHS from very different periods: Guillebaud (1956); Royal Commission on…

Within a learning family, every member is a lifelong learner. A family literacy and learning approach is more likely to break the intergenerational cycle of low education and inadequate literacy skills, particularly among disadvantaged families and communities. The selection of case studies presented in this compilation show that for an…

In its first decade (2001-2010) the OER movement has been carried by numerous relevant and successful projects around the globe. These were sometimes large-scale but more often not, and they were primarily initiated by innovating educational institutions and explorative individual experts. What has remained, however, is the quest for a sustainable…

In the opening paper in this Special Edition I outlined the major issues that led to the establishment of "project e-scape". The project was intended to develop systems and approaches that enabled learners to build real-time web-based portfolios of their performance (initially) in design & technology and additionally to build systems…

There is an extensive structure of formal student assessment in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Although the structures in each of these countries were similar when they were initially introduced two decades ago, they have increasingly diverged over the last decade. This national description outlines the development of statutory assessment…

The evaluation of government-financed research has become increasingly important in the last few decades in terms of increasing the quality of, and payoff from, the research that is done, reducing the cost of doing it, and lending public credibility to the manner in which research is funded. But there are very large differences throughout the…

Discusses the development of a decentralized and national qualification within the field of educational technology for the United Kingdom. (RAO)

Reviews the history of oracy in the United Kingdom over the past decade, as articulated in significant national curriculum developments. Identifies conflicting models of oracy embedded in these programs, noting erosion of the cross-curricular function of oracy in favor of a centralized oracy, controlled by the teacher and related to literacy. (BT)

This paper is an introductory discussion of industrial training, artificial intelligence (AI), and AI applications in training, prepared in the context of the United Kingdom Training Commission (TC) program. Following an outline of the activities and aims of the program, individual sections describe perspectives on: (1) training needs, including…

Presents seven reports related to implementing World Conservation Strategy (WCS) objectives in the United Kingdom, each report focusing on and providing recommendations related to a particular subject area. Includes a list of 10 proposals for strategic ways to action and a list of general WCS aims. (JN)

Examines the extent to which a national policy on paid educational leave might help to overcome problems in manpower, labor, and education, using examples from four countries and comparing their positions regarding the formulation of coordinated policies and coordination with manpower, training, labor, and education policies. (Author/CT)

Services provided by the national adult literacy program in the United Kingdom include supplementary reading materials, educational certification, special-interest programs, and media broadcasts. A general description of the program is included. (AM)

Explains the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology in the UK (United Kingdom) and discusses its report that addresses the need for information technology planning on a national basis. Topics include electronic publishing for access to government publications, universal access, regulatory framework, encryption and verification,…

Examining literacy and adult education in the United Kingdom (U.K.), this issue is divided into four parts: (1) Introductory Survey, which discusses the U.K. experience in adult literacy; (2) The Provider, which presents agencies involved in adult education; (3) Resources, which describes the Adult Literacy Resource Agency; and (4) Learning…

This paper reviews two of the United Kingdom's national programs to promote the use of computer-based teaching throughout higher education. In the first phase (1985-89) of the Computers in Teaching Initiative (CTI), a suite of 139 individual software-production projects generally failed to meet expectations. In 1989, CTI became a network of…