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This issues paper, the third in a series of eight, is intended to distill formative evaluation questions on topics that are central to the development of the higher and further education information environment in the United Kingdom. The sets of ideas about "good" learning in issues papers 1 and 2 are no longer the private preserve of psychologists and educational theorists, but are beginning to enter into the thinking and conversation of teachers in higher education. The practice and discourse of learning and teaching in higher education is beginning to shift toward a more student-centered model in which the learner's cognitive activity (what the learner does) is acknowledged to be more important than teachers' historic preoccupations about syllabus coverage. The shift from teaching as the transmission of knowledge to teaching as the facilitation of learning has implications for the role of the teacher and for the creator of instructional resources. The focus can no longer be on creating learning resources without regard to their intended contexts. (Contains 11 references.) (SLD)

This issues paper, the fourth in a series of eight, is intended to distill formative evaluation questions on topics that are central to the development of the higher and further education information environment in the United Kingdom. As the online environment becomes a feature of teaching and learning, it offers lecturers the opportunity to provide their students with active links that will take them direct to learning resources. Preliminary evidence suggests that the context in which this linking is done is not always as helpful as it might be. This paper highlights some of the pitfalls encountered so far in providing links to online resources for students. The need to provide context is apparent. Effective resources for students are organized, with headings that explain their use and explanations that make the purpose of the link clear to the student. It is important to maintain links, and to be sure that URLs have not disappeared or changed ownership. Some sources of help in creating links to online resources include libraries and librarians, Web resource persons, and other members of the teaching or learning unit. (SLD)

The United Kingdom does not yet have any lifelong learning pedagogies. The country has a stratified and segmented educational system, with little connection between those sectors that might be regarded as contributing to the concept of lifelong learning. The reasons for this lack of connections between sectors were examined during an 18-month study that included a literature review and resulted in identification of the following pedagogic "identities" assumed by adult educators: educator as critical practitioner; educator as psycho-diagnostician and facilitator of learning; educator as reflective practitioner; educator as situated learner within a community of practice; and educator as assurer of organizational quality and efficiency and deliverer of service to agreed or imposed standards. These identities were analyzed within the following conceptual dimensions: learning within a community versus individualized learning; disciplinary community versus pedagogic community; moral and social accountability versus organizational accountability; educator as "person in the world" versus anonymous/invisible educator; and student as "person in the world" versus anonymous/invisible learner. The analysis established that it is impossible to disentangle learners' situatedness from the educative process and that the split between adult education and higher education lies at least partly in the relationship between pedagogical theory and practice. (Contains 38 references.) (MN)

This issues paper, eighth in a series of eight, is intended to distill formative evaluation questions on topics that are central to the development of the higher and further education information environment in the United Kingdom. This study focused on the searching behavior of higher education students as they attempted to locate electronic resources. The study was part of a usability study that aimed to evaluate the quality of information environment services. Students were asked to find information on 15 set tasks, completing a questionnaire after each item. Forty-five percent of students used Google as their starting point, and the second most highly used starting point was the university online catalogue, used by 10% of the sample. Nine percent of students used Yahoo and other search engines were used by the rest. Students appeared to like search engines for their familiarity and because they had been useful in the past. Seventy percent of the students thought that they had been successful, and 50% said the search had been easy. A third, however, found it difficult. Results make it clear that more work needs to be done to give students the awareness and skills to use electronic resources other than Google. (SLD)

This issues paper, fifth in a series of eight, is intended to distill formative evaluation questions on topics that are central to the development of the higher and further education information environment in the United Kingdom. The term "portal" is so widely used by so many people with so many different perspectives that definition is difficult. In its simplest form a portal is a filter for Web content, a place form which users can locate the Web resources they commonly need. Other aspects of portals that receive attention are the fusion function of portals, which involve cross searching of multiple resources and presentation of the aggregated results within the portal. Personalization is an aspect of a portal in that they select information on the basis of the individual user's needs. Portals for higher education will need to meet many requirements, and they will need to address a significant proportion of the resources that are available within the fields. Many of the issues surrounding portal development have little to do with technology, and more to do with sustainability and determining user needs. (SLD)

This paper responds to the Nuffield Languages Inquiry regarding the following: what language capabilities the United Kingdom (UK) will need in the next 20 years to fulfill its economic, strategic, social, and cultural goals and aspirations; the extent to which current policies and arrangements meet these needs; and strategic planning and initiatives needed. In recent decades, English has achieved an unprecedented world role, but current patterns of world demography and population are rapidly changing the relative numbers of first language speakers for significant languages. Thus, the UK must provide foreign language training as an integral part of education for all citizens. Citizens must become proficient in at least one major language of the European Union (French, German, and Spanish). The paper recommends including a language question in the Census of the Population to determine the range of languages spoken. The United Kingdom lacks coordination from one sector to the next at all levels of foreign language learning. A shortage of foreign language teachers is a critical problem. It is necessary to recognize the interconnectedness between the development of English and other mother tongues and the move into foreign languages; language competence and awareness; and language development and the need to improvise and make mistakes in the course of learning. (Contains 17 references.) (SM)

This is a report on the quality review of distance learning in a sample of five countries. The report was commissioned by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation's (CHEA's) International Commission in order to understand better the nature of existing regulatory arrangements in the context of growth in electronically supported learning and in the import and export of education world-wide. The data collected from readily available public sources were used to create country case studies for Jordan, Malaysia, Australia, Kenya and the UK, which were subsequently verified by in-country experts. From the data and information collected, a summary report was produced in two parts. Part One summarizes information and issues arising from relevant policy reports and academic literature. The sections of the report cover: context and terminology, approaches to quality review, agencies involved, review processes, and challenges and issues in the quality review of distance learning. The second part presents data from the case studies. After a brief section outlining the socio-economic context, educational system and policy context for each country, Part Two addresses the main themes of the project: the nature of distance learning in each country and the main providers, the nature of the regulatory and quality assurance systems as they apply generally and to distance learning in particular, and the relationship between trade in educational services (from an importing and exporting perspective) and arrangements for quality review. [This report was produced by CHEA (Council for Higher Education Accreditation) Institute for Research and Study of Accreditation and Quality Assurance. It was prepared for the International Commission of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.]

Two important sets of performance indicators for institutions of higher education have become established in the United Kingdom: research quality ratings and teaching quality ratings. The research quality ratings and, to a lesser extent, the teaching quality ratings influence the level of government funding provided to higher education institutions. This paper considers the correlations between the two ratings and the possible consequences of policies which reshape the higher education sector by concentrating research resources in a limited number of institutions. Comparisons are made between quality assurance/assessment approaches in the United Kingdom and the United States, finding that U.S. higher education is much larger, more heterogeneous and has less government control than U.K. higher education, While the U.S. system of colleges and universities is generally unranked (by those responsible for accreditation), the UK system includes rankings. Use of use various analytical approaches to compare teaching and research ratings for both systems concluded that it remains unclear whether the measurement standards will lead to improvements in teaching and research. (Contains 38 references.) (Author/DM)

This study examined the allocation of government research grants to universities in the United Kingdom in the context of the current funding system which distributes such grants based on universities' performance in the marketplace. Marketplace performance indicators include academic staff and postgraduate student counts, grants from Research Councils, income from contracts with industry, donations, and research ratings. Research grant data were analyzed to determine if the allocation of research grants reflected the performance indicators outlined in the funding methodology. A multiple regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between indicators and allocation of grants in the academic years 1990-91, 1991-92, and 1992-93. The results showed that the funding formula was used to allocate research grants to the 50 long-established United Kingdom universities with a large coefficient of multiple determination in the three years examined. A large proportion of grants were explained by the performance indicators: 73.1 percent in 1990-91, 80.9 percent in 1991-92, and 86.2 percent in 1992-93. (Contains 45 references.) (JLS)

The following conference papers cover a wide spectrum of issues in continuing education: "Introduction" (Katherine Leni Oglesby); "Footprints in the Sand?--The Legacy of the University Funding Council's Support for Research in Continuing Education" (Chris Duke); "Thinking Fragments: Learning, Life Histories and the Self" (Linden West); "Group Research Projects in Adult Continuing Education" (Joan Unwin); "Adult Self-Directed Learning in the Community and Its Implications" (Keith Percy); "Creativity Training for Design Engineers in Heavy Plant Industries" (Graham Thompson, Martina Lordan); "The Leeds Adult Learners at Work Project: Knowledge and Control in Employee Development Schemes" (John Payne, Keith Forester); "'Personal Troubles and Public Issues': University Researchers, Adult Educators and Adult Learners in Rural Areas" (John Payne); "Voluntary Organisations. Citizenship, Learning and Change" (Konrad Elsdon); "Inside Perspectives: Ex-Prisoners' Views on Prison Education" (Sally Malin, Ina J. Kell); "Mainstreaming, Critical Histories and Cultural Identities" (Tom Steele); "Responding to Language Shift among Young People" (Heini Gruffudd); "Accessing the Imagination: Creative Writing in Community Education" (Rebecca O'Rourke); "Learning from Working Together: Experiencing Collaborative Research as Education" (Sue Shuttleworth et al.); "The Challenge of Linking Research and Practice: Ways of Learning in Adult Basic Education" (Mary Hamilton, Wendy Moss); "Disability Voice" (Mal Leicester); "Returners, Mathematics and Targeting" (Roseanne Benn); and "Access of Adult to the University: A Comparative UK/Belgian Study" (Barbara Merrill, Jean-Luc Guyot). Many papers contain substantial bibliographies. (MN)

Employment legislation in the United Kingdom from before 1970 to the 1990s has changed and with it collective bargaining in higher education. Industrial relations before 1970 were treated as a voluntary activity virtually unregulated by law. Then the Remuneration of Teachers Act 1965 set up the Burnham Committees, which until 1987 were the forum for salary negotiations and associated matters. In the 1960s and 1970s the normal pattern of collective bargaining was that unions made demands and management resisted, trying to minimize the concession they needed to make. The Donovan Commission and the resulting Donovan Report (1968) led to a great deal of legislation between 1970 and 1978 aimed at encouraging better regulated collective bargaining at workplace level. Legislation from 1979 onwards was aimed at regulating the power of the trade unions and bringing about a shift in the balance of power between unions and employers. As a consequence employers are now likelier to take a tough line in their handling of disputes and resulting defeat for the unions. Whatever policies higher education adopts for labor relations, college industrial relations should be a priority concern for managers and governors in the run-up to incorporation. Relevant Acts of Parliament are listed. (JB)

Results of a survey of college and university students of modern languages in Great Britain are presented in three separate reports. The first concerns current classroom practice in language teaching, including how students spend their time on language-related activities (e.g., attending lectures in a foreign language, doing translations, using a computer or language laboratory) within and outside language classes. A wide range of responses was received, suggesting little clear pattern. Students were also asked which activities they found most useful and enjoyable. The second report presents student attitudes about what skills language graduates should have (e.g., converse with near-native fluency, pick up topical or cultural allusions, read specialist material), and how they themselves meet those criteria. Results indicate a low level of agreement about needed skills and a high level of students complacency about their own language capabilities. Few saw literature or linguistics as features of an ideal modern language program. The third reports addresses the content and perceived value of a year of study abroad, including how the study period was arranged, how it was spent, patterns of foreign language use, cultural knowledge gained, and other personal benefit. (MSE)

This paper offers a broad look at accreditation and quality assurance in higher education and how these issues are addressed around the world. Section 1 is an overview of accreditation and addresses the aims and objectives of accreditation, standards, accreditation bodies, stages of the accreditation process, the quality of that process, the role of government in the accreditation process, some critical points of view concerning the process, and present accreditation trends. Section 2 looks at accreditation and quality assurance through brief national case studies. The nations represented are France, Germany, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United States, China, India, Hong Kong, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Australia. This section closes with a section comparing accreditation and quality assurance in various regions. Section 3 takes a closer and more detailed look at the accreditation process in Romania, particularly in light of the recent political and educational changes in this nation and the fairly recent decision to introduce accreditation of institutions of higher education. This examination covers accreditation principles and objectives, standards for initial and subsequent accreditation, application rules, structure of the accreditation committee and its functions, and provisions for financing accreditation. Appendixes contain institutional evaluation standards and a glossary. (Contains 27 references.) (JB)

A study was done to explore the role of senior and middle managers in British Further Education (FE) about a year after these institutions had been incorporated and gained their independence from local funding authorities. The research examined administrator attitudes at a large broadly based urban college providing a wide range of educational and training opportunities and at a smaller, more rural college with a typical range of courses and in the process of developing a center for performing arts. Comparison of the views of senior and middle managers revealed a mixture of different perceptions, opinions and attitudes as well as different institutional responses to change under the new conditions. A critical area of change identified was that senior managers are now responsible for understanding and shaping the organizational culture. The analysis also found that institutions are being challenged to become "thinking organizations" where innovation is supported. Further the data suggest that the challenge may be to release managers from functionalism, to open up the strategic dimension of each manager's work and encourage new ideas about the future. A diagram of the McKinsey framework used in the data analysis is included. (Contains 28 references.) (JB)

This paper discusses the increasing interest in quality assurance in British education including its measurement and management through the introduction of a quality assurance system. The reasons and benefits of beginning a quality assurance system are discussed, and questions of what constitutes quality, whether it is quality in fact (specification adherence), or quality in perception (consumer viewpoint), are considered. Three quality assurance systems are examined: British Standards 5750 Quality Systems Total Quality Management; and a system of the Staff College's devising. Also examined are two issues surrounding the implementation of a quality assurance system, namely, the type of college culture that exists, and the resources which the college is prepared to commit to quality assurance. Finally, the report outlines the stages for introducing a quality assurance system in the college setting. Stage 1 discusses the appraisal and diagnosis process and provides a checklist to assist the college in assessing its existing quality culture. The second stage examines the measurement of managerial commitment, and stage 3 focuses on costing considerations and analysis. The last three stages cover establishing a plan of action; involving everyone in the quality process; and review and evaluation. Contains 11 references and a 20-item bibliography. (GLR)

A project was conducted to identify good practice in continuing vocational education (CVE) and the barriers to increasing the quantity and quality of CVE provided by universities in the United Kingdom. During the project, 6 research briefing seminars were attended by 46 persons, 13 researchers conducted case studies, 17 researchers conducted key issue investigations, and 21 universities participated in visits/seminars conducted by the project manager. The study found that all UK universities are committed to providing more CVE, tending toward more integration with degree teaching and research. Good practices identified for senior management include the following: staff motivation, effective financial systems, financial incentives, accreditation of CVE, and recognition for teaching. For CVE directors, these good practices were recommended: departmental coordination and information sharing, good links with central administration, coordinated external networking, and change management. Good practices for department heads were as follows: making CVE a normal academic duty and being selective about collaborators. (Eight appendixes provide the following: an extended project description; a project outline and methodology; lists of steering committee members, case studies, key issues, a list of related projects, and statistical data on CVE in 1990-91 and 1991-92.) (MN)

The Government is committed to introducing a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) to assess the quality of teaching and learning in higher education. Designing the right solution is challenging. There is no off-the-shelf solution from other countries that we can lift. But we can learn lessons from other sectors. This pamphlet explores rating systems that exist in other parts of the education sector and also the care sector, before considering the implications for the TEF. The author, who has a background in consumer affairs, makes two recommendations: (1) to integrate the TEF more fully within the quality assurance system; and (2) to delay the TEF's introduction until we are sure it is right.

Higher education institutions (HEIs) have experienced increasing pressures to provide accountability data and consumer information on the quality of teaching and learning. Existing ratings and rankings of HEIs tend to neglect information on student learning outcomes. Instead, they focus on inputs, activities and research outputs, such as resources used, classes taught, and articles published. Such indicators provide no indication of the degree to which HEIs actually develop the knowledge and skills of their students. In most countries, hardly any comparable information is available on the educational quality of different programmes and institutions. In some countries, approaches to assess higher education learning outcomes have been developed, but little cross-country information is available on the characteristics of the instruments used. This paper provides an overview of experience gained in this domain across OECD and partner countries. Based on illustrative evidence collected for 18 assessment instruments, it examines conceptual, organizational and methodological aspects of existing assessments. It proposes a typology of higher education learning outcomes and reviews the ways in which these have been assessed across countries. Examples are drawn from Australia, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States. (Contains 2 footnotes and 7 tables.)

The contribution of higher education institutions to regional development is a theme that has attracted growing attention in recent years. Knowledge institutions are increasingly expected not only to conduct education and research, but also to play an active role in the economic, social and cultural development of their regions. The extent to which higher education institutions are able to play this role depends on a number of circumstances: the characteristics of the institutions, the regions in which they are located and the policy frameworks are all significant. At the same time, there are signs of more fundamental conceptual and strategic confusion. The discussions in this domain are frequently characterised by slogans and popular metaphors. This literature review was prepared to support the OECD project entitled 'Supporting the Contribution of Higher Education Institutions to Regional Development', which was conducted by the OECD Programme on Institutional Management in Higher Education (IMHE) in collaboration with the Directorate of Public Governance and Territorial Development. Drawing mainly from a selection of European and North American publications, the report takes an overall view on the development of higher education institutions in the regional context. It focuses on the evolution and discourses of higher education and research, the regional aspects of higher education policies, the various functions and roles that the institutions play, measures taken to link the universities with their regional partners, and the conditions which favour or hamper stronger regional engagement. (A bibliography is included. Contains 9 figures.)

This paper describes how audiovisual media have influenced the way students have learned--or failed to learn--at the Open University at Walton Hall. The paper is based in part on results from a large body of research that has repeatedly demonstrated the interrelatedness of a wide range of factors in determining how or what students learn from audiovisual media. For instance, the administration's policy toward the assessment of broadcast material will affect not only the way many students approach the programs, but may determine whether or not a student will watch at all; the benefit a student obtains from a program will be affected by how much he has read in the correspondence texts; and that in turn will be influenced by the timing of the TMAs (tutor marked assignments). Primarily a literature review, this paper discusses the following topics: general theory and research relevant to the Open University; the roles of audiovisual media in Open University learning; case studies and documentaries; television as reinforcement; delivery of instruction; students' prior experience with learning from television and radio; student control over audiovisual media; relevance of program material; individual differences; and the need for broadcast notes. An extensive bibliography is included. (THC)

The OECD Secretariat, at the invitation of the AHELO Group of National Experts, contracted the Tuning Association to undertake initial development work on learning outcomes to be used for valid and reliable assessments of students from diverse institutions and countries. The two disciplines selected for the AEHLO Feasibility Study are engineering and economics. Following the Tuning approach, academics from various regions and countries in the world reached consensus on definitions of expected learning outcomes for bachelor's-type programmes in both disciplines. This Working Paper presents the outcomes of their work for the engineering discipline. Members of the Engineering Tuning-AHELO working group defined general learning outcomes for all engineering programmes supplemented by branch specifications for the fields of mechanical, electrical and civil engineering, taking into account different degree profiles and relevant occupations. In addition to the agreed upon learning outcomes, the paper presents an overview of the field of engineering, the typical degrees and engineering occupations associated to the first and second cycle degrees. The paper also discusses the role of learning outcomes and presents the approach used to defining them. A comparative summary of some of the most influential learning outcomes frameworks in the engineering field is also provided. Appended are: (1) Indicative Overview of Specialisations/Branches in the Subject Area of Engineering; and (2) Comparison of Learning Outcomes Frameworks/Statements for Engineering Degree Programmes. (Contains 1 table and 34 footnotes.)

Creating a fertile space for debate and ideas in order to drive innovation in learning and skills is integral to LSN's (Learning and Skills Network's) mission. To achieve this LSN has pioneered a new approach to making learning work from classroom to boardroom--and created the Centre for Innovation in Learning. This new, independent think tank works with stakeholders, key thinkers, social entrepreneurs and practitioners to improve policy and practice. The Centre for Innovation in Learning is supported by a Foresight Group of politicians, business people, academics and sector professionals who take part in their private capacity and meet twice a year in a roundtable forum. This position paper reflects their deliberations on the big issues and challenges facing learning and skills in 2010 and beyond. It seeks to present a case, based on the varied perspectives of this group, for where learning and skills thinking and policy need to go next. (Contains 7 footnotes.)