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This document contains 43 papers from a conference on researching inclusion. The following are among the papers included: "Include Me Out: Critique and Contradiction in Thinking about Social Exclusion and Lifelong Learning" (Paul Armstrong); "The Linking of Work and Education To Enable Social Inclusion" (Dave Beck); "Including Citizenship in the Adult Curriculum" (Roseanne Benn); "Researching 'Inclusion': Reality and Rhetoric; It's All in the Curriculum Approach" (Darol Cavanagh); "Flexibility and Inclusion in Lifelong Learning: Working the Discourses in Further Education" (Julia Clarke, Richard Edwards); "Researching Inclusion: The Development of Adult Education for Women" (Janet Coles); "Peripheral Vision: Staff Development and Part-Time Tutors in Adult Education" (Derek Cox);"Valuing Exclusive Educational Provision for Disabled Adults" (Mark Dale); "Without and Within: Inclusion, Identity and Continuing Education in a New Wales" (Ian Davidson, Brec'hed Piette); "Adding Life to Your Years: Transformative Learning for Older People at the Irish Museum of Modern Art" (Ted Fleming); "The Network Society and Lifelong Learning--The Work of Manuel Castells and Theories of Adult Education" (Nick Frost); "An Inclusive MBA? Researching Curriculum Design and Delivery" (Roger Hall, Caroline Rowland); "Including the Excluding Image: Researching and Teaching Cultural Images of Adult Educators" (Ann Harris, Christine Jarvis); "Re-Visioning the Boundaries of Learning Theory in the Assessment of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL)" (Judy Harris); "Reducing Exclusion--Introducing Choice: The Introduction of Distance Learning into Taught Courses" (Christine Hibbert); "Accountability, Audit and Exclusion in Further and Higher Education" (Phil Hodkinson, Martin Bloomer); "Voices from the Community: The Challenge of Creating a Culturally Relevant Curriculum and Inclusive Learning Environment" (Ann-Marie Houghton, Helen Ali); "Opening Pathways to Inclusion: The Importance of Non-Accredited Learning in the Lives of Students in the Local Authority Sector" (Ann Jackson, Belinda Whitwell); "Education in a Uniting Society?" (Nick Small); "'We're Not the Only Ones Learning Here'--An Investigation of Co-Tutoring and the Dynamics of Power within a Class of Adult Dyslexics" (Barbara Taylor); and "Including Mezirow's Concept of Perspective Transformation in the Study of Adult Education" (Miho Tokiwa-Fuse). Many papers contain substantial bibliographies. (MN)

These 12 papers represent different perspectives concerning internationalization of vocational education and training (VET) in Europe. The papers are: (1) "Internationalisation of Vocational Training in Europe" (Margrethe Vestager); (2) "International Employees Plead for Education and Assistance in Adjusting to Living in Foreign Cultures" (Jean R. McFarland); (3) "Globalisation and Internationalisation: Two Conflicting Discourses? Towards a Multilingual, Ethically Reflective Intercultural Competence" (Karen Risager); (4) "Trends in the Internationalisation of Qualifications" (Tim Oates); (5) "Internationalisation--What Are the Possibilities?" (Jorn Sogaard); (6) "Education and Training in Times of Globalization" (Michael Brater); (7) "The International Challenge for VET" (Kim Moller); (8) "Qualification Development of Internationally Active Skilled Workers--From Mobility of Labour to 'Virtual Mobility'" (Peter Wordelmann); (9) "Trainer Exchanges: A Staff Development Opportunity" (Marilyn Young); (10) "Internationalisation as a Challenge for Vocational Colleges in Europe" (Ronald Monch); (11) "The Internationalisation of VET: The Australian Experience" (Tony Crooks); and (12) "All of Us Must Have a Dream..." (Riccardo Petrella, interviewed by Norbert Wollschlaeger). Each paper contains references. (YLB)

These proceedings contain the papers of the International Conference e-Learning 2016, which was organised by the International Association for Development of the Information Society, 1-3 July, 2016. This conference is part of the Multi Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems 2016, 1-4 July. The e-Learning (EL) 2016 conference aims to address the main issues of concern within e-Learning. This conference covers both technical as well as the non-technical aspects of e-Learning. These proceedings contain keynote lecture, "Twenty-First Century Skills, Technology and Open Learning: Re-Designing Teaching for the Digital Age" (Tony Bates) [abstract only] and workshop, "Making Sustainable Online Learning a Reality Informed by the Community of Inquiry Framework" (Susi Peacock and Lindesay Irvine). Full papers in these proceedings include: (1) Determining Factors of Students' Perceived Usefulness of e-Learning in Higher Education (Aleksander Aristovnik, Damijana Keržic, Nina Tomaževic and Lan Umek); (2) EvalCOMIX®: A Web-Based Programme to Support Collaboration in Assessment (María Soledad Ibarra-Sáiz and Gregorio Rodríguez-Gómez); (3) A Holistic Approach to Scoring in Complex Mobile Learning Scenarios (Marcel Gebbe, Matthias Teine and Marc Beutner); (4) Content Development for 72,000 Learners: An Online Learning Environment for General Practitioners. A Case Study (Dirk Pilat); (5) First Stages of Adult Students' Relationship to Scientific Knowing and Research in the Open University's Web-Based Methodology Course (Leena Isosomppi and Minna Maunula); (6) A Quantitative Analysis of the Role of Social Networks in Educational Contexts (Azam Shokri and Georgios Dafoulas); (7) Care Management: On Line-Based Approaches to Nurse Education in Ultrasound Imaging (Elena Taina Avramescu, Mitrache Marius and Adrian Camen); (8) Can e-Learning Change Work Practices? (Signe Schack Noesgaard); (9) A Practice of Mobile Learning Bases on Cloud Computing (Heng Wu and Zhong Dong); (10) Guidelines for Conducting a Post-Graduate Module within a Blended Synchonous Learning Environment, Facilitator and Student Perspectives (Christopher Upfold); (11) IT Tools in Initial Teacher Training (Dorin Herlo); (12) Application of a Reference Framework for Integration of Web Resources in DOLTRN--Case Study of Physics--Topic: Waves (Fabinton Sotelo Gomez and Armando Ordóñez); (13) Creating Micro-Videos to Demonstrate Technology Learning (Mark Frydenberg and Diana Andone); (14) An Analysis of Students Enrolled to an Undergraduate University Course Offered Also Online (Nello Scarabottolo); (15) How Do We Know What is Happening Online: A Triangulated Approach to Data Analysis (Marina Charalampidi and Michael Hammond); (16) Analysis of 3D Modeling Software Usage Patterns for K-12 Students (Yi-Chieh Wu, Wen-Hung Liao, Ming-Te Chi and Tsai-Yen Li); and (17) A Distributed Intelligent e-Learning System (Terje Kristensen). Short papers in these proceedings include: (1) Using Cognitive Maps to Promote Self-Managed Learning in Online Communities of Inquiry (Susi Peacock and John Cowan); (2) Automation in Distance Learning: An Empirical Study of Unlearning and Academic Identity Change Linked to Automation of Student Messaging within Distance Learning (Hilary Collins, Hayley Glover, Fran Myers and Mor Watson); (3) Developing the 1st MOOC of University of Porto: Challenges and Strategies (Isabel Martins, Nuno Regadas and Margarida Amaral); (4) Informal Language Learning in Authentic Setting, Using Mobile Devices and SNS (Ruthi Aladjem and Bibiana Jou); (5) Enhancing Third-Year Medical Clerkships: Using Mobile Technology for Teaching and Learning (Janette R. Hill, Michelle A. Nuss, Ronald M. Cervero, Julie K. Gaines and Bruce Middendorf); (6) Statistical Measures of Integrity in Online Testing: Empirical Study (Tom Wielicki); (7) The Complexities of Digital Storytelling: Factors Affecting Performance, Production, and Project Completion (Peter Gobel and Makimi Kano); (8) Collegewide Promotion on e-Learning/Active Learning and Faculty Development (Nobuyuki Ogawa and Akira Shimizu); (9) Training Portuguese Teachers Using Blended Learning--A Different Approach (Bertil P. Marques and Paula Escudeiro); (10) Gamify and Recognize Prior Learning: How to Succeed in Educators' Further Professional Training with Open Badges (Esko Lius); (11) How Do K-12 Students' Manage Applications on Their Mobile Devices? (Ruthi Aladjem and Sharon Hardof); (12) Digital Storytelling for Inclusive Education: An Experience in Initial Teacher Training (Marco Lazzari); and (13) Learning Factory--Assembling Learning Content with a Framework (Peter Steininger). Reflection papers in these proceedings include: (1) Equalizing Educational Opportunities by ICT (Ana María Delgado García and Blanca Torrubia Chalmeta); (2) The Acceptability of MOOC Certificates in the Workplace (Christina Banks and Edward Meinert); (3) Orchestration of Social Modes in e-Learning (Armin Weinberger and Pantelis M. Papadopoulos); (4) Information Competencies and Their Implementation in the Educational Process of Polish Universities. Exploratory Studies (Anna Tonakiewicz-Kolosowska, Iwona Socik and Monika Gajewska); (5) Virtual & Real Face to Face Teaching (Romeo Teneqexhi and Loreta Kuneshka); and (6) Virtual Scaffolding--Constructivism in Online Learning (Lachlan MacKinnon and Liz Bacon). The following poster is included: Active Learning Methods in Programming for Non-IT Students (Olga Mironova, Irina Amitan, Jüri Vilipõld and Merike Saar). An author index is included. Individual papers contain references.

Educational strategies for social inclusion are based on particular definitions that do not always take account of the complexities of exclusion and inclusion. By attempting to "normalize" the unemployed and disaffected, social inclusion efforts often legitimate the status quo of systems that might otherwise be regarded as contributing to social exclusion. Among the issues that are often ignored in attempts to address social exclusion through education and training are structural unemployment, age, social values, institutional provision, and the notion of what counts as worthwhile learning. These issues were addressed successfully in an action research project in the north of England. The project, which was a partnership between a university and local community organizations, catered to various adults, including men in prison, young mothers, disaffected youth, unwaged people with disabilities, and young Pakistani Muslim women. The courses were validated through the university via an accredited skills framework. According to the information gathered during 50 interviews and 12 focus groups conducted throughout the project, the project's success in helping participants achieve social inclusion can be attributed to the positive student-teacher and student-student relationships cultivated through an educational strategy based on the principle of teaching engaged pedagogy. (Contains 49 references.) (MN)

This paper considers whether or not curriculum initiatives within England are in fact leading to qualitatively improved levels of thinking among children identified as lower achievers in arithmetic. Revisiting data from two earlier studies and introducing current data, the paper draws comparisons in the strategies that 8-year-old children use to solve a range of addition and subtraction combinations on numbers to 20. It considers the outcomes in the context of current theories of concept development and national requirements of expected levels of achievement for such children. The results suggest that these requirements and the way in which they are implemented may seriously impede these children's cognitive development in elementary arithmetic. (Author)

This paper reports from a research project at Oxford in the UK that focused (a) on university mathematics teachers' conceptualizations of first-year undergraduate teaching related to observation of their teaching; and (b) on issues relating the conceptualizations to mathematics as a discipline. This research builds on a qualitative study of learning difficulties of first year undergraduates in their encounter with the abstractions of advanced mathematics within a tutorial-based pedagogy. Six tutors' responses to and interpretations of such difficulties were studied in semi-structured interviews conducted during an 8-week university term and following minimally-participant observation of their tutorials. This paper describes a 4-stage spectrum of pedagogical development (SPD) that emerged from the analysis of the tutors' conceptualizations of the students' difficulties, descriptive accounts of the strategies they employ in order to facilitate their students' overcoming of these difficulties, and self-evaluative reflective accounts regarding their teaching practices. This study then exemplify the third and fourth stages of SPD thought a discussion of characteristic examples from the interview data. In these stages the tutors' strategies begin to resemble less a traditional induction process and more a process of facilitating the students' construction of mathematical meaning. This discussion employs tools from sociocultural, enactivist and constructivist theories on the teaching and learning of mathematics. In particular, the data used here exemplify certain tutor strategies to achieve consideration of students' needs. (Author)

This paper looks at the state of education in knowledge management (KM). It reports findings from a study of knowledge management courses included in the curriculum of academic disciplines of business, computing, and information that was conducted at the Nanyang Technological University (Singapore). Based on a review of course descriptions selected from Web sites of universities in Australia, Canada, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the paper describes levels of courses, curriculum areas and topics, and differences in emphasis in teaching KM courses in different departments and schools. A table presents data on the details of KM courses for each university, including the school/department, course title, level, and academic program. A second table lists topics in KM courses for several curriculum areas, including foundations, technology, process (codification), applications, and strategies. (MES)

This paper provides an initial examination of over 614 undergraduate multimedia courses now available in the United Kingdom with discussion centered on reasons for recent course expansion. Areas of specific growth and issues of course design are presented in the analysis and discussion. Changes in the application of multimedia from subject-specific to second subject contextualization are also discussed with reasoning to support learning benefits to be derived from this approach, and implications for course designers and providers are concluded. (Contains 14 references, 3 tables, and 1 diagram.) (Author)

This paper summarizes the findings of a study examining the impact of standards-based and curriculum reforms on the role of curriculum materials in educational systems in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Australia. Concepts derived from a model of decision-oriented evaluation were applied to define a typology to classify various activities relating to the development, selection, and use of curriculum resources. The study focused on identifying activities to develop, select, and use materials by investigating two areas. First, the activities of publishers' associations and publishing companies in developing new materials to meet the needs of schools in implementing standards-based and curriculum reforms were analyzed to determine their impact on changing practices for selecting and using curriculum resources in educational systems. The findings of the study in the form of various activities relating to the development, selection, and use of curriculum resources were then classified according to categories defined in the typology. Data on the findings are presented in this report. (Contains 17 tables and 6 references.) (SLD)

We welcome you to the International Conference on Education and New Developments 2014, taking place in Madrid, Spain, from 28 to 30 of June, 2014. Education, as an important right in our contemporary world, began since we exist. Knowledge and skills were passed by adults to the young, and cultures began to extend their experiences through various forms. Schools and academies were formed since the most ancient civilizations. Although between innumerous difficulties, these experiences were capable to teach us how to develop better formative effects and to turn education a generalized and global right. Formal education and other educational practices are used by all of us in the constitution of the human being, in the way one thinks, feels and acts. One of the most important contributions resides in what and how we learn through the improvement of educational processes, both in formal and informal settings. This international conference seeks to provide explore the processes, actions, challenges and outcomes of learning, teaching and human development. Our goal is to offer a worldwide connection between teachers, students, researchers and lecturers, from a wide range of academic fields, interested in exploring and giving their contribution in educational issues We take pride in having been able to connect and bring together academics, scholars, practitioners and others interested in a field that is fertile in new perspectives, ideas and knowledge. We counted on an extensive variety of contributors and presenters, which can supplement our view of the human essence and behavior, showing the impact of their different personal, academic and cultural experiences. This is, certainly, one of the reasons we have many nationalities and cultures represented, inspiring multi-disciplinary collaborative links, fomenting intellectual encounter and development. END 2014 received over more 292 submissions, from 40 different countries, reviewed by a double-blind process. Submissions were prepared to take form of Oral Presentations, Posters, Virtual Presentations and Workshops. It were accepted for presentation in the conference, 83 submissions (28% acceptance rate). The conference also includes a keynote presentation from the distinguished Professor Hanna David, Tel Aviv University (Emerita), Israel, to whom we express our most gratitude. This volume is composed by the proceedings of the International Conference on Education and New Developments (END 2014), organized by the World Institute for Advanced Research and Science (W.I.A.R.S.) and co-sponsored by the respected partners we reference in the dedicated page. This conference addressed different categories inside the Education area and papers are expected to fit broadly into one of the named themes and sub-themes. To develop the conference program we have chosen four main broad-ranging categories, which also covers different interest areas: (1) In TEACHERS AND STUDENTS: Teachers and Staff training and education; Educational quality and standards; Curriculum and Pedagogy; Vocational education and Counseling; Ubiquitous and lifelong learning; Training programs and professional guidance; Teaching and learning relationship; Student affairs (learning, experiences and diversity; Extracurricular activities; Assessment and measurements in Education. (2) In PROJECTS AND TRENDS: Pedagogic innovations; Challenges and transformations in Education; Technology in teaching and learning; Distance Education and eLearning; Global and sustainable developments for Education; New learning and teaching models; Multicultural and (inter)cultural communications; Inclusive and Special Education; Rural and indigenous Education; Educational projects. (3) In TEACHING AND LEARNING: Educational foundations; Research and development methodologies; Early childhood and Primary Education; Secondary Education; Higher Education; Science and technology Education; Literacy, languages and Linguistics (TESL/TEFL); Health Education; Religious Education; Sports Education. (4) In ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES: Educational policy and leadership; Human Resources development; Educational environment; Business, Administration, and Management in Education; Economics in Education; Institutional accreditations and rankings; International Education and Exchange programs; Equity, social justice and social change; Ethics and values; Organizational learning and change. The proceedings contain the results of the research and developments conducted by authors who focused on what they are passionate about: to promote growth in research methods intimately related to teaching, learning and applications in Education nowadays. It includes an extensive variety of contributors and presenters, who will extend our view in exploring and giving their contribution in educational issues, by sharing with us their different personal, academic and cultural experiences. (Individual papers contain references.)

I describe a major research program on primary mathematics in the UK, the Leverhulme Numeracy Research Program, and give a sample of some of the preliminary results. The program combines large-scale longitudinal survey and case studies, quantitative and qualitative data, and observation and intervention studies in order to try to ascertain how and in what way different factors affect pupils' progress. The case studies have focused on factors relating to home cultures, pupil behaviors, curriculum and teaching styles, teacher subject knowledge, and school policies/leadership. The results quoted relate to these areas and also to effects of the implementation of a national reform which occurred during the research program. (Author)

The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University Teknologi MARA, Malaysia, developed an undergraduate-level engineering curriculum that balances national interests with those of employers and academics. The curriculum was based on materials posted at the Internet sites of universities in the United States, United Kingdom, and Malaysia itself. The new curriculum calls for 3 or 4 years of study (depending on whether students enter the program before or after earning the equivalent of the United Kingdom's General Certificate of Education A-level). In accordance with the Malaysian government's policy of producing graduates with the English skills needed to compete in the international arena, the curriculum's language of instruction is English (except for certain subjects such as social science and humanities). Because Malaysian employers have expressed interest in engineering graduates who are well-rounded and who possess a multidisciplinary, systems perspective, the curriculum calls for a mix of mathematics and social sciences, humanities and social sciences, engineering and design, and free electives). The extended program calls for an additional 30-32 credit hours, inclusive of technical electives and courses in ethics and professional responsibilities. The model allows students to plan their own program with minimal supervision and includes provisions for international exchange or internship during the extended year. (MN)

This document contains a total of 57 welcoming speeches, theme addresses, seminar and workshop papers, and poster sessions that were presented at a conference on technological education and national development. The papers explore the ways technology and technological advances have both necessitated and enabled changes in the way education is designed and delivered. The following are among the themes addressed in the individual papers: rival views of technology and their impact on education; the learning needs of older adults using information technologies; entrepreneurship education; lifelong learning on the World Wide Web; issues faced by polytechnics and institutes of technology as they respond to the challenges of Internet technologies and new media; working knowledge; flexible delivery; strategies for teaching technical students to be critical; development of curricula incorporating "hands-on" experience and interaction with industry; a framework for open, flexible, and distributed learning; models of online teaching; the transition from secondary to university education; digital curriculum databases; use of technology to foster authentic communication for second language students; labor and education dilemmas facing the Arab Gulf States; the future of women's colleges; universal education; English for workplace purposes; empathy as a paradoxical key to successful human learning futures; economic education; and funding problems of technical education in developing countries. Many papers include substantial bibliographies. (MN)

This document contains 71 papers and 11 workshop presentations on distance teaching and learning from a conference on educational research. The following are among the papers included: "Bridging Distances and Differences" (Nancy Anderson); "The Role of Site Directors in Faculty and Student Success" (Edith M. Barnett, Jeanie P. Kline); "Potential Benefits and Limitations of Investing in Telelearning" (Silvia Bartolic-Zlomislic); "Discussion Diagrams: A Method for Illustrating and Quantifying the Interactive Environment of Discussion-Based On-Line Courses" (Kathryn A. Bickel); "Using Distance Technology in Professional Development and Training" (Donald A. Bille); "The National Guard Distributed Learning Initiative: A Systems Approach" (Craig Bond, Fred Poker, Joseph Pugh); "The Use of Learning Technologies in Modern Business Organizations" (Theresa J. Bowen); "Designing a Web-Based Program in Clinical Bioethics: Strategies and Procedures" (Elizabeth Buchanan, Nancy Morris); "Interactive Satellite Training: More Than Just a Talking Head" (Melissa Buscho, Beth Knutson); "The Assessment of Distance Learning Evaluations" (Matthew V. Champagne, Robert A. Wisher, Jennifer L. Pawluk, Christina K. Curnow); "Creating Accessible Content for the World Wide Web and Distance Education" (Wendy Chisholm); "Constructivist Approach to Satellite Instruction" (Tom Cody, Andrew Kerr); "Using a Collaborative Model of Instruction for the Development of a Distance Education Course and Faculty Training" (Simone Conceicao-Runlee, Ann Hains, Patricia Caro, Rosemary Lehman, Bruce Dewey);"Developing Learner Self-Direction in a Webcentric Learning Environment" (Rita-Marie Conrad); "Evolution of Distance Delivery in a 10-University Consortium Providing a Nurse Practitioner Program" (Betty Cragg, Suzanne Doucette); "Piloting the Psychosocial Model of Faculty Development" (Patricia Cravener); "Strategies for Online Student Learning and Advising" (Shirley M. Davis, Christopher Reese); "How the Internet Will Change How We Learn" (William A. Draves); "Virtual Conversations: A Modest Means for Engaging Faculty at a Distance" (Margarete Epstein); "Transforming Faculty for Distance Learning" (Nancy Franklin, Donald E. Kaufman); "The Care and Feeding of an Online MBA Consortium" (Corbett Gaulden, Jr., Darcy W. Hardy, Jennifer Rees); "Distance Learning Instructor Training" (John H. Gebhardt); "Fine Tuning Interactive Delivery for High School Students in a Rapidly Growing College and Distance Learning System" (Ron J. Hammond); "The Virtual Teacher and the Classroom of the Future" (Richard A. Harrison); "Collaboration Tools" (Denise L. Henderson, Linda B. Ryder); and "Strategies for Addressing 'Cut-and-Paste' Plagiarism in Networked Environments" (Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe). (MN)

This monograph reports on the Planning Meeting of the Commonwealth Project on Improving the Quality of Science and Mathematics Education at the Basic Level which focused on the role of higher education. The purpose of the meeting was to make recommendations for improving the preparation and training of science and mathematics teachers for the first 9 years of education and of trainers of science and mathematics teachers. The report summarizes the meeting discussions on the following topics: curriculum and curriculum change; the education of teachers; inservice education of teachers (INSET); problems in teaching and teacher education; improving the education of teachers and teacher educators; proposals for gathering and disseminating information about INSET programs; and a strategy and action plan for developing INSET guidelines. Brief descriptions of several INSET programs are included. Four recommendations resulted from the meeting: (1) policies on education and professional development of teacher educators should be reviewed; (2) the proposed programs of overlapping and sustained INSET for teachers and teacher educators should be implemented; (3) steps should be taken to identify key personnel to take part in such INSET programs at all levels; and (4) national committees on basic science and mathematics teaching should be established to collect and review existing INSET materials and to prepare for regional and local workshops and INSET programs. Appendices include a list of consultants at the meeting, a list of documents prepared for the meeting, and draft suggestions for content guidelines. (Contains 11 references.) (ND)

The United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia suffered a crisis of confidence in education in the 1980s that influenced their educational policy decisions. By examining these countries' educational concerns in the 1980s, this document portrays the national and international policy context that influenced school curriculum in that decade. After discussing the importance of societal and political context to curriculum reform efforts, political corporatism in relation to the economy and education is explored as the impetus for curriculum reform. Next, the responses of the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia to economic concerns are examined each in turn. A final section reviews the governments' use of curriculum as an instrument of public policy development to meet the needs of the nations' economies. (30 references) (CLA)

For the past three decades, the United Kingdom (UK) has been searching for the best methods of providing computer literacy and competence for elementary and secondary pupils. Initially, schools developed computer studies as a separate area of study instead of promoting the use of computers across the curriculum, an approach supported by the Micro-electronics Education Programme (MEP). The debate between these two approaches involved parents, pupils, and employers as well as MEP experts and inservice teacher educators. In 1987, upon realizing that the bulk of information technology resources in schools had been used only for students 16 years or older who were taking General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) classes, the National Curriculum demanded an information technology dimension in each of the core subjects and a cross-curricular approach to information technology competence. Despite the good intentions of such educational changes, it remains to be seen if this new strategy can succeed in its aim to make information technology competence a natural part of every pupil's repertoire. (22 references) (DB)

This discussion of issues that merit investigation in British primary schools focuses on those issues that concern the links between pedagogic positions, the practices these involve, the media education issues that are thus addressed, the consequences for the activities of the learner, and the critical understandings these practices facilitate. It is noted that these issues are informed by two strands of arguments, i.e., the inadequacies of content-oriented provision of media education and the weaknesses of progressive proposals. Discussions of the issues are organized around three significant foci: (1) the children and their activities and responses in connection with any kind of media education provision; (2) teachers' perspectives on their curriculum arrangements, their concerns with mass media, and their thinking about children's learning; and (3) the classroom in action, including the practical arrangements, classroom negotiations, critical agenda, and a critique of content-bound provision. The development of a progressive model of primary media education based on a review of recent British proposals and recent American work of similar scope is then described, and a characterization of progressive primary media education based on a comparison of the proposals from both cultures is presented. A critique of the progressive model is then given, and the paper concludes by suggesting ways of enhancing this model. (19 references) (CGD)