Universities are facing growing internal and external pressures to generate income, educate a widening continuum of learners, and make effective use of digital technologies. One response has been growth of online education, catalysed by Massive Open Online Courses, availability of digital devices and technologies, and notions of borderless global…

Science is at heart a practical subject, but the perception of what makes good teaching and learning through practical science is often misunderstood. Through working with teachers on professional development courses at the UK's National Science Learning Centre, and drawing on work carried out by other organisations, we present some thoughts and…

A core part of 16 to 19 study programmes is the provision of work experience for all young people. It is increasingly recognised that young people need to develop their employability skills, alongside qualifications, in preparation for the world of work and securing a job. This top tips guide offers advice to schools and colleges wishing to…

Reported benefits of research-informed teaching include enhanced student engagement and graduates that are better prepared for employment in an uncertain world. However, there are a number of academic risks that can have both positive and negative impacts on staff and students when implementing research-informed teaching. Mitigating such risks…

This publication focuses on national and international policy initiatives to develop a better understanding of part-time learners and the types of flexibility that may enhance their study especially pedagogically. As part of our five-strand research project "Flexible Pedagogies: preparing for the future" it: (1) highlights the challenges…

This article summarises the key findings from a UK survey of higher education institutions, focusing on the development of technology enhanced learning (TEL). TEL is defined as any online facility or system that directly supports learning and teaching. The 2008 survey builds upon previous UCISA surveys conducted in 2001, 2003 and 2005 and for…

This paper describes the delivery of action learning sets to students on the peer educator course provided by the Dementia Studies Department at University of Bradford. Our understanding of action learning sets is laid out together with our rationale for their use on this course. Feedback is presented that described a conflicted, even confused…

The unprecedented extent of privatisation of provision in the school system on a for-profit basis is clearly one of the most significant transformations accomplished by the Blair government. However, another aspect of private sector involvement has proved much more problematic: the direct involvement of employers in the formation of the future…

This document, which is designed for managers responsible for human resource development (HRD) policy and planning in the United Kingdom's further education (FE) colleges, draws on evidence from a study of 10 FE colleges to illustrate good practices in developing and implementing college policies and strategies for HRD. Presented first are a brief…

This manual is designed to help further education colleges in the United Kingdom devise strategies to meet adult learners' needs. The opening section identifies the demographic and labor market changes that necessitate service to adult learners. Key characteristics of effective college programs for adults are highlighted: institutional…