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Purpose: With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, online assessment has become the dominant mode of examination in higher education institutions. However, there are contradictory findings on how students perceive online assessment and its impact on their academic performance. Thus, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential impact of online assessment on students' academic performance. Design/methodology/approach: This study proposes a research model based on the task–technology fit theory and empirically validates the model using a survey from students in the UK. In addition, the study conducted four experiments based on paper-based and online assessments and analysed the data using paired sample t test and structural equation modelling. Findings: The findings show that the use of online assessment has a positive impact on students' academic performance. Similarly, the results from the experiment also indicate that students perform better using online assessments than paper-based assessments. Practical implications: The findings provide crucial evidence needed to shape policy towards institutionalising online assessment. In addition, the findings provide assurance to students, academics, administrators and policymakers that carefully designed online assessments can improve students' academic performance. Moreover, the study also provides important insights for curriculum redesign towards transitioning to online assessment in higher education institutions. Originality/value: This study advances research by offering a more nuanced understanding of online assessment on students' academic performance since the majority of previous studies have offered contradictory findings. In addition, the study moves beyond existing research by complementing assessment results with the views of students in evaluating the impact of online assessment on their academic performance. Second, the study develops and validates a research model that explains how the fits between technology and assessment tasks influence students' academic performance. Lastly, the study provides evidence to support the wide use of online assessment in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to make the case for early action approaches with migrant families, introducing a set of principles for practice, mapped against the Professional Capabilities Framework for social work and the Social Work England professional standards. Design/methodology/approach: The paper first explores the context of social work with migrant families, outlining the challenges and gaps in our conceptual understanding of this work. The paper then introduces a conceptual model of work with migrant families which draws on the literature from social work and allied professions, and informed by social work values and ethics. Findings: Current social work practice with migrant children has been criticised as defensive, procedural and lacking a coherent conceptual basis, particularly for those who are subject to the no recourse to public funds (NRPF) rule. This field of social work practice would benefit from an evidence-informed model of practice, anchored in human rights approaches and focused on early action. Eight principles, drawn from existing good practice in other social work and social care contexts, are outlined as the basis for a new model of practice in social work with migrant families. Originality/value: The NRPF rule is a provision in the immigration rules that prevents people who are subject to immigration control from claiming most social security benefits in the UK. In recent years, there has been an increased interest in research about the NRPF rule and its negative impact on children. However, there is currently no evaluated model of social work practice for children and families with NRPF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on how early years practitioners worked with the ORIM Framework to support work with parents to promote early literacy experiences. Design/methodology/approach – Co-produced Knowledge Exchange (KE) was used to develop and evaluate work with parents to facilitate their young children’s literacy. Information was gathered in discussion groups, interviews with parents and practitioners and feedback from all the parties involved. Findings – Practitioners and families engaged with each other in the further development of an established literacy programme, and families demonstrated “ownership” of the co-produced knowledge after the end of the project. Research limitations/implications – Project design in co-produced research and KE is necessarily flexible. The focus is on practitioners’ knowledge and ownership of the process, sharing knowledge with parents and enhancing children’s experiences. Practical implications – Practices that can enhance parental engagement in their children’s early literacy are varied and multiple and ORIM can be used flexibly to plan, develop and evaluate innovative and community – (and family –) specific practices. Social implications – Where parents have more knowledge of children’s early literacy development they are in a better position to support them; for learning communities there are implications in terms of future development of work with families to support early literacy development. Originality/value – This paper contributes an original approach to the co-production of research with early years practitioners. It also identifies specific issues around the ethics of ownership in co-produced research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to understanding of different ways that parents and schools develop and maintain working partnerships to improve outcomes for children by focusing on quantitative evidence about parental involvement (PI). The key questions for this synthesis are: what is the evidence about the extent of impact of PI on cognitive or academic outcomes for children, and how consistent and reliable is this evidence? Design/methodology/approach – This is an “umbrella” review comparing and contrasting findings from 13 meta-analyses across three areas of PI and home/school partnerships: first, general approaches; second, home and family literacy programmes; and finally, targeted interventions focused on individual or specific family need. Findings – There is consistent evidence about the extent of impact from general approaches (three to six months average additional gain for children’s educational outcomes) and for targeted intervention (four to six months), but with a wider range of estimates for family literacy (two to eight months average gain). Variation in approaches and evaluation quality make specific recommendations for practice challenging, though some consistent patterns of findings indicate strategies that are likely to be “good bets” to explore and evaluate. Research limitations/implications – The quality of the underlying studies makes drawing secure implications for practice difficult. The nature of the review means that it does not capture the most recent studies. Originality/value – The paper provides a synthesis of quantitative evidence from 13 meta-analyses to identify where there is consistency in estimates of impact and what is associated with systematic variation in this impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper aims to explore the policy background, educational rationale, developmental stages, and the introduction and piloting of a foundation degree (FD). Design/methodology/approach - The approach is a description and discussion. The paper draws together, for the first time, the main policy documents and reviews and relates these to the pilot programme. Findings - This new qualification is an attempt to reduce the academic and vocational divide, improve intermediate skill levels, develop the qualifications progression ladder and effectively widen participation to higher education (HE) for non-traditional groups. Despite criticisms and hesitant take up FDs represent a significant development in British Higher Education producing some innovative and successful programmes such as the FD in Health and Social Care at Bradford University. Originality/value - Of value to those interested in developments in HE. A number of conclusions are drawn and questions are raised regarding the extent to which FDs might achieve their objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the utility of an evidence-based suite of programmes, The Incredible Years (IY), to enhance outcomes for children using a parent-teacher partnership model. Design/methodology/approach – A review of the broad evidence base for the IY parent, teacher and child programmes, uniquely focusing on the inter-relationships between home and school contexts. Findings – Evidence suggests that it is beneficial to parents, teachers and children to deliver IY programmes applying a multi-modal approach. Originality/value – This paper, read in conjunction with other contributions in this volume, demonstrates the growing viability of partnership strategies that support children, their families and teachers to enhance school readiness, and promote positive child outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of young people's participation in organised sport on their educational outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – Systematic review of the literature. A comprehensive search was used to identify all research evidence about engagement, impact and value in culture and sport. A combination of manual and automated screening was used to select studies for inclusion in this review based on pre-specified criteria. Included studies had to use a "high"-quality experimental research design, focus on children and young people and have quantitative educational outcome measures. Results from the individual studies were transformed into a standardised effect size and meta-analysis was used to combine the results from individual studies where appropriate. Findings – Young people's participation in sport may lead to improved educational outcomes. Young people's participation in organised sports activities, when compared to non-participation, improves their numeracy skills. Young people's participation in organised sport linked with extra-curricular activities, when compared to non-participation, improves a range of learning outcomes for underachieving pupils. These findings are based on six "high"-quality studies conducted in the UK and North America. Study populations included young people within the range of four to 16 years old. Originality/value – This paper builds on the existing evidence base in two main ways. First, it focuses specifically on the impacts associated with organised sport whereas previous reviews have had a broader focus. Second, it uses meta-analytic methods to synthesise study findings. This paper provides pooled effect sizes for overall educational impacts and translates these into potential changes in test/grade scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to review and identify changes in systems of external examinations in Denmark, the UK and Norway. Design/methodology/approach - Comparative analysis of studies, reviews and documents concerning the purpose and functioning of systems of external examination in three selected countries. Findings - The paper concludes that systems of external examinations are being transformed from a focus on student performance to a focus on programme quality and coherence in all three countries studied. Practical implications - The paper shows that older and newer forms of quality assurance are becoming more integrated with the potential of creating quality assurance procedures addressing teaching and learning issues more directly. Originality/value - Much attention has been given to newer forms of external quality assurance schemes. More traditional forms of quality assurance have, as a consequence, received less attention although they may still provide benefits to higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A consultative paper on the education and training needs of the 16-18 year old age group was sent in February by the Government to a wide range of bodies, including local authority and teacher associations, employer and trade union organisations. The introduction points out that the education and training needs of this age group have been a matter of much public concern in recent years. Their abilities, aspirations and potential differ widely, but all are equally deserving of help from society and those young people who have been neglected in the past should be provided for in the future. A requirement for real progress is that a measure of agreement should exist among local authorities, teachers, voluntary bodies, employers, trade unions and of course young people and their parents.

The article reports on the lower attainment levels of educated 16 year-old youths in Great Britain compared to its main competitors, based on the study by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research. Findings showed that 27 percent of 16 year-old students obtain General Certificate of Secondary Education grades A to C in mathematics, in native language and in science, which is fewer of the 66 percent of students attaining equivalent qualifications in France, 62 percent in Germany, and 50 percent in Japan.