When it comes to digital literacy, how do we know what kind of skills America's workers need for the workplace, how they can best acquire them, and what competencies or credentials can help them signal their preparedness to employers? Over the past four months, National Skills Coalition staff interviewed business, education, and workforce leaders…

: Beginning in 2012, the University of Alberta in partnership with others has been undertaking participatory action research in Sri Lanka and, since 2017, in the Caribbean to foster inclusive innovation through a Joint Education and Training Initiative (JETI). The JETI is developing and testing a set of open educational resources on…

In the literature, communities of practice (CoPs) are recognised as having potential to promote teachers' professional development. However, the study of the dynamics of CoPs with teachers and researchers, and their impact on teachers' professional development, is still scarce. Contributing to fill this gap, this paper presents a single case study…

Different interpretations of scientific inquiry exist between the two different communities of scientists and science teachers. Thus, in order to achieve a successful partnership between science teachers and scientists in establishing effective communities of practice, the framework for instructional practice in teacher professional development…

This article focuses on personal learning environments (PLEs). The idea with PLEs is to put students in a more central position in the learning process by allowing them to design their own learning environments and by emphasising the self-regulated nature of the learning. This study describes the structure, functions and challenges of PLEs made by…

This paper aims to identify what actually takes place when policy directives bring together Technology Education, Enterprise Education, and the wider Community Partnerships. Since the introduction of a national technology curriculum to New Zealand schools in 1999 there has been little critique as to the intentions of the curriculum. In late 2005…

Discusses the Partnership for Primary Science project which aimed to provide and promote continuous professional development in science and information communication technologies (ICT). Evidence suggests that teachers' science instruction and use of ICT rather than their understanding of science concepts underwent the most significant change.…

This article relates the story of one California school district that is making laptop ownership for students a reality, despite the overwhelming financial burden. In January 1996, Clovis Unified School District found itself in a situation familiar to many districts. Fresh from a conference in Redmond, Washington, sponsored by Microsoft and…

Ensuring that every child grows up with a strong education is a deeply rooted American value. Over time, however, the basic preparation that American students need to succeed in the world has changed. Now, with a competitive global economy and the importance of technology in the fields of health, energy, and engineering, the United States must…

While it is certain that there is a technology presence on all campuses, further investigation suggests that faculty use of teaching with technology is far from a universal phenomenon. Anecdotal reports from staff tell of low turnouts among faculty who claim that they have no time to invest in learning the necessary skills despite expensive…

The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) is a leading national organisation for secondary education in England and is responsible for supporting the specialist schools and academies programmes. This edition of SSAT's corporate plan builds on its 2006-2007 to 2008-2009 plan, which sets out the framework within which it will continue to…

In this paper we follow up "Developing Growing Need for Soft-Skills in IT Professionals," a paper from the 2003 ASCUE Conference. In that paper we examined the need for "soft-skills" by information technology professionals. In the current economic climate, IT outsourcing is becoming increasingly popular. Our Columbus, Indiana…

With the advent of new technologies, more convenient and effective ways of learning are being adopted. However, despite the growing advancements there remains a lack of literature in applications of using these technology teaching approaches. This book offers in-depth analysis of new technologies in blended learning that promote creativity,…

This paper deals with the policy parameters of establishing distance education networks in New Zealand. The current decentralized educational system is described, including the role of the state through the Ministry of Education, funding and resource allocations, and staffing. Discussion includes the contracting out to third parties for the…

Eight papers are presented from the 1994 CAUSE conference track on professional development for information professionals in higher education institutions. The papers include: (1) "New Opportunities in Training for Information Systems Professionals," which discusses staff training at Miami-Dade Community College (Florida) (Desiree…