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Practitioner research, as one example of research supported by universities, has developed in unexpected ways, some of them unhelpful and has not always generated the benefits predicted. This paper argues that practitioner research has become shaped more by the needs of universities than by the schools and teachers it was hoped it would serve. The paper goes on to explore the idea that the promise of practitioner research has been so beguiling that it has commandeered more than a wise share of attention in universities and that this has been at the expense of exploring some other avenues of engagement with schools. The paper notes that the evolution of practitioner inquiry has taken place at a time when regimes of accountability driven by central government have been visible globally and when universities and schools each had significant pressures to fulfil policy imperatives. The pressure towards performance has in England drawn the attention of universities and schools away from, rather than towards, each other: schools to revised curricula and performance, universities to research and funding. Practitioner research became developed as a skeleton for higher degrees and in that arena universities came to have a role in promoting and at the same time inhibiting and possibly damaging its development. Hopes that practitioner research would come to contribute to mainstream research were not fulfilled and both educational and more especially practitioner research remain problematic in the wider university research agenda. One response is to renew efforts to improve existing approaches and examples of this are now widespread. However, the paper observes that, at present universities’ support for schools seems to reflect only a small part of their much wider expertise and argues that education departments in universities might think much more radically about the range of expertise that they can offer schools, a more imaginative exploration. The paper continues by noting that the challenge for university departments of education of working together equally with schools and teachers is easy to aspire to, but not to fulfil, and this impacts on working with the authentic concerns of schools and on sharing expertise. Further opportunities are available: beyond education departments: for example, other university departments have expertise that education departments might link with which has hitherto remained unexplored. Additional areas which remain under-researched are the processes of incorporating educational change and in making judgments about educational initiatives. Readers are reminded that the accidental barriers produced by the categories of research, teaching and administration are accountancy categories and may demand creative and determined responses. The paper concludes that there is too much to lose by not exploring these or other wider possibilities and much to gain by doing so including opportunities in research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to explore the extent to which current real estate academic curriculum align with industry needs in order to identify key areas for reform. A case study of four Universities was undertaken in the study. These cases were randomly selected from the Midlands, Northern and Southern parts of the UK. Data for the study was collected through a desk-top review of real estate curriculum from the four selected Universities and analysed using mind mapping approach. The study revealed that though knowledge from real estate academic curriculum aligns with the industry in six out of nine knowledge base areas, there were gaps in knowledge in the three areas considered most significant to the needs of industry. The study, therefore argues that universities may have dedicated enormous resources to educating real estate graduates in modules that are not necessarily essential to their daily job roles thereby leaving graduates in a position to rely on industry during their early employment. This study presents the findings of amindmapping exercise which identifies the key areas of actual curriculum that show gaps in real estate education offered by selected universities in the UK. The findings are significant and could inform future curriculum reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents findings from a scoping review of curriculum delivery methods for research teaching in undergraduate social work education. The review was conducted by a working group of the JUC SWEC research committee following the introduction of a new degree by the Social Work Reform Board. The paper draws on data from a mixedmethods study, in which five models of research teaching were identified by a qualitative study, together with findings, which mapped how commonly the models were adopted, from a survey of sixty universities of all four countries of the UK. These models are discussed in relation to anticipated learning outcomes: research-informed teaching; educated consumers of research; research-mindedness; research capacity and reflective practitioner researchers. It is less than a decade since the Economic and Social Research Council (the government research council for the social sciences) first recognised social work as a distinct discipline; in this period, social work educators have taken innovative approaches to underpin teaching and practice learning by research. The study implications are that a larger study should provide evidence for the learning outcomes associated with different approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ‘independent learner’ is a key construct within discourses of educational policy and practice in the UK. Government policy statements stress the importance of developing learner independence, and higher education pedagogical practices tend to rest on the assumption that students are independent learners. This paper draws on research with undergraduate students in a post-1992 university to offer a critical appraisal of the discourse of the independent learner. The paper examines students’ perceptions of independence in both their first year of undergraduate study, and in the later years of their degree courses. Support for learning and issues related to asking for help are discussed. Whilst students tend to both expect and want to be independent, it is suggested that dominant constructions of the independent learner are gendered and culturally specific, and as such are inappropriate for the majority of students in a mass higher education system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities of the Third Age (U3A), lifelong learning institutes, and "senior universities" are terms used to describe organizations that provide education for older adults, specifically for those who are retired or in the "third age" of life. The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive, historical overview of the evolution of these organizations across global settings. This article highlights the importance of older adult education while discussing U3A's structure and models. The article explores the origins and historical development of the U3A model and its influence on recent initiatives like the Age-Friendly Universities movement. It then focuses on the impact of French and British Models of U3A on providing older adult education. There is a general discussion of the expansion of these organizations in several countries and a comparison of each's curricular structure and approach. The article concludes with suggested future directions and potential areas of improvement (e.g. technology access, accessibility, and inclusion of older adult learners; diverse needs and interests) and ways these models can remain relevant to the ever-changing older adult learner population. Through this analysis, the article contributes to the understanding of U3A organizations and their role in promoting lifelong learning for older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a comprehensive study on the specialisations or career tracks supported by the Information Systems (IS) curriculum in the UK. Design/methodology/approach – The study utilises the recently published IS curriculum guidelines (IS 2010) to develop a method for ranking the career tracks of undergraduate IS courses in the UK. Findings – The research presents a prioritised list of graduate IS careers by taking into account the entire IS course provision in the UK. At the same time, it offers data about the size of the IS curriculum in terms of universities in the UK and the number/type courses they offer. Research limitations/implications – The study relies on a previously undeveloped method for measuring career specialisations for UK IS graduates. Additional work is needed to validate the results through comparisons with alternative methods of measuring the careers supported by IS degree courses. Practical implications – By having concrete data about the state of the IS curriculum in relation to its employability opportunities, the IS academy can make more informed decisions about future curriculum development. Further comparative research can be undertaken to support arguments about the relevance of the IS curriculum to industry needs. Originality/value – There has been no similar UK study on this scale which examines the state of the IS curriculum in relation to the career opportunities it offers. The development of the method for this study also offers insights into the structure and recommendations presented by IS 2010. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some university schools of nursing in Australia and the UK have developed collaborative links with Malaysia to deliver part-time Transnational Higher Education (TNHE) post-registration top-up nursing degree courses. It enables nurses trained to diploma level to upgrade to a degree qualification. The views of 18 Malaysian nurses who had studied with one Australian and two UK TNHE universities were explored using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Participants recruited via convenience and snowball sampling methods were interviewed in English and Bahasa Malaysia (Malaysian language). Thematic analysis were used to analyse data. Findings indicated nurses’ frustration with technology-enhanced teaching and learning and a lack of support throughout the programme. Although nurses developed confidence in using computer technology, they remained disappointed with the level of academic support. The data and some useful strategies outlined provide important insights for TNHE providers, the Malaysian Nursing Board and private hospital employers to consider for enhancing nurses learning and experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To explore the concept of sustainability in nursing using social media as a vehicle for discussion on the topic. Background There is a need for an increased awareness among nurses of the issues that are crucial for the healthcare sector to prepare for climate change and contribute to sustainable development. However, topics about sustainability and climate change are not a requirement of nursing curricula in Europe; social media provides an opportunity to raise issues and promote discussion. Design A thematic analysis of a Twitter discussion. Methods A Twitter discussion session hosted by @WeNurses took place on 24 March 2015 over 1 hour. Data were gathered via this online discussion hosted on Twitter, a social media platform. Following the discussion a thematic analysis of the posted Tweets was conducted. Findings One hundred and nineteen people posted nine hundred and ninety six Tweets, a reach of 3,306,368. Tweets broadly followed the questions posted by the team. Several threads related to the sustainable use of healthcare resources and the need to reduce waste was evident. A Word Cloud of the Tweets highlighted prominent words in the discussion: sustainability, nursing/nurses, curriculum, important, waste, practice, resources, student, plastic, health, gloves. Conclusion Social media is an effective way of engaging nurses and students in a discussion on challenging issues. Sustainability appears to be important for nurses, with a particular emphasis on resource use and the importance of sustainability topics in nurse education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All too many postgraduate science and technology departments in universities in Great Britain have been operating below full capacity in the past decade. This has been all too evident in the recent cutbacks and rationalization of university education proposed by the UGC in June 1981. The complete impact of full cost fees for overseas students can well also create another order of problems on top. Yet such problems are also opportunities and the most important opportunity that seems to be currently is to break with the bankruptcy of some past ideas. It never was the case that most potential students out there did not want to know about postgraduate science and technology. Quite the reverse. There are few areas which fire the mind of young people more than these. The challenge in the face of inappropriate and/or falling registrations is to analyse, plan and design ways of teaching and learning about science and technology that capture the imagination of students and industry alike. One of the earliest opportunities that should be grasped is to turn industry into our workshops and laboratories. The intellectual challenge and satisfaction of solving problems that can lead to superior industrial performance is immense.

The article presents the results of a series of surveys on youth training scheme (YTS) curriculum in further education in Great Britain. It provides more descriptive discussion about the differences between employer based courses and college based, special needs courses. Factors taken into consideration when conducting the survey were geographical location, occupational area trained for, type of college and unemployment rate in local area. Provision of education and training for the Youth Opportunities Program was based on the premise that the young people involved were likely to be different from further education's usual clients and would need different treatment. The results also show that many YTS teachers do not share the assumptions that used to be made about Youth Opportunities Program