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Higher education is increasingly recognised as being critical to social and economic prosperity. It is also a policy area where the Commonwealth could significantly increase its impact. This could be achieved without major cost, by working through activities already in place, and persuading member governments to make stronger use of these brands and mechanisms. This paper focuses on four key areas selected by the the 19th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (19CCEM) Steering Committee: (1) Costs and access; (2) Links with employment; (3) Securing the next generation of academics; and (4) Student and staff mobility. These were chosen because of their importance, relevance to conference themes, and synergy with existing Commonwealth-related initiatives. In each case, the brief summary of issues is intended to stimulate debate on whether, and how, the Commonwealth could play a greater role. [This paper was prepared for the Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (19CCEM) (19th, Bahamas, Jun 22-26, 2015).]

Twenty-five papers presented at the conference include papers on the role of the site coordinator in a distributed education network in Ontario; student support systems in the Open University of Israel; the dilemmas of designing a computer mediated communication support system; interactive libraries; tutoring in technical science in the Open University of the Netherlands; research supervision at a distance; the role of tutoring and group support in distance education; the relationship between interaction and independence; distance education in India; applications of telecommunications for interactive tutoring; and cost effectiveness analysis of projects that increase student interaction in distance education. Most of the papers include references. The individual papers are briefly reviewed in the introduction, and continuity from papers presented at two earlier conferences is discussed. (GL)

This publication contains an introduction and the 19 papers presented in workshops at a conference that addressed some issues relating to professionalization and the training and professional development needs in the area of adult education. Papers are as follows: "Training and Professional Development in Adult and Continuing Education" (Benn, Fieldhouse); "Cultural Awareness and Communication: A Perspective on Europe" (Arthur); "An Investigation of Professional Development Needs in Adult Education" (Benn); "The Search for a Core Curriculum in the Training of Senior Adult Education Personnel" (Cohen); "The Professionalization of Continuing Educators in the UK (United Kingdom): An Appropriate Model for the Future?" (Parker, Davies); "In-service Training and Development of Clinical Educators in Orthopaedic Surgery, Sports Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine" (Farmer); "Adult Counselling: A Need, a Challenge, and an Opportunity for Developing a New Discipline" (Friedlander); "A Competency-based Approach to Initial and Continuing Professional Education" (Gonczi); "Theory and Practice in the Curriculum Preparing Educators of Adults" (Henschke); "Developing Professionals for Adult Education in Flanders" (Hinnekint); "Pedagogy, Androgogy, and Professional Education" (Jarvis); "Lifelong Learning--Holy Grail or Poisoned Chalice?" (Jowitt); "Principles behind the Generation of Adult Education in Local Arenas" (Larsson, Thang); "Adult Educators: Issues of Professionalisation" (Papanaoum); "A Conceptual Framework for Developing Adaptive Competency for Professionals" (Paprock);"Instructors-as-Researchers-and-Theorists: Faculty Development in a Community College" (Peters); "Adult Education Studies in Canada: Graduate and Undergraduate Programmes" (Wickett); "Self Reliance and Distance Education--The Case of Teachers in Tanzania" (Wort); "Towards a Comparative Study of Policy and Practice of Training and Development in Western Learning Societies" (Zeldin); and "The New Education of Adult Educators: What, Who, and Why?" (Zukas). (YLB)

The article focuses on the confidentiality management of tax accrual working papers. It states that in interim, taxpayers are advised to take necessary measures that may help them in protecting confidentiality of their tax accrual working papers. It mentions the legal framework of the disputes in Canada, U.S., and Great Britain on the ability of tax authorities to access the subjective analysis of taxpayers and the analysis of their professional advisers.

Distance higher education for adults, media selection, and country profiles are considered in conference papers. Titles and authors are as follows: "Distance Education, Trends Worldwide" (Lord Perry of Walton); "Adults in Higher Education: Lowering the Barriers by Teaching and Learning at a Distance" (Hans G. Schutze); "Distance Education for Adults: Old and New Barriers for Participation" (Kjell Rubenson); "Distance Education for Adult Students: From Old to New Barriers for Participation?" (Ger van Enckevort); "Distance Education in OECD Member Countries"; "The Open University of the Netherlands"; "Background and Objectives" (Pierre Morin); "Basic Concepts" (Henk de Wolf); "The First Students" (G. van Enckevort); "The Open University of the United Kingdom" (Keith Harry); "The German Distance University: Its Main Features and Functions" (Jorn Bartels, Otto Peters); "The Instituto Portugues de Ensino a Distancia, Portugal" (Armando Rocha Trindade); "The Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia, Spain" (Doina Popa-Lisseanu); "Distance Education in Yugoslavia" (Ana Kranjc); "Towards a Contextual Rationale in Distance Higher Education: The Small Scale Cases of Australia and Sweden" (Urban Dahllof); "Adult Learning and the Consequences for the Selection of Media: The Japanese Approach" (Yoshiya Abe); "Technology-Based Distance Education for Adults in the United States of America" (Marilyn Kressel); "Distance Education, a Critical View from Canada" (Ian Morrison); "The Impact on Higher Education of New Information and Telecommunication Technologies" (Pamela Christoffel); "Selection of Media at the Dutch Open University" (G. van Enckevort, Freek Gastkemper)"; "Development of Computer-Based Learning Materials" (Jef Moonen); and "Computer Communication: A New Tool for Distance Education" (Norman D. Kurland). (SW)

The five papers compiled here cover topics related to electronic publishing, library collections and services, interlibrary loan, and serials. In "The Impact of Electronic Publishing on Library Collection and Services: An American View," Joseph W. Price considers possible consequences on library collections and services in the United States of developments in electronic publishing. In "The Impact of Electronic Publishing on Library Collection and Services: A British View," Brian J. Perry discusses the same topic from the British perspective. In "Interlending and Conservation: Friends or Foes?", Maurice B. Line argues that local library use can damage books as much or more than interlibrary loan and suggests methods of conservation. In "The Use of Electronic Mail and Interlibrary Loan Automation in Canada," Carrol D. Lunau highlights the experiences of the National Library of Canada, focusing on automation developments and their impact on interlibrary loan operation. In "Bibliographic Access to Serials: A Study for the British Library," Philip Bryant describes a study of British Library users' requirements and understanding of the catalogs when searching for serials. (MES)

Four papers on geography and map libraries were presented at the 1986 International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference. "Generation and Utilization of Maps and Atlases in Japan," by Takashi Morita of Japan, presents an overview of the making and uses of maps and atlases in Japan and concludes that a comprehensive national map cataloging system is needed as well as a nationwide map library or museum. Related statistics are presented in graphic format. In "Report on the Library of Congress and Other Federal Agencies' Optical Disc Development for Cartography," Ralph E. Ehrenberg (United States) presents a status report on the Library of Congress Optical Disc Pilot Program and the development of optical disk technology projects for cartographic materials at several official mapping organizations. "Map Libraries and Optical Disks" (Lorraine Dubreul, Canada) describes optical disk technology as well as applications at the National Library of Canada and the U.S. Library of Congress. Finally, "Digital Maps and Map Libraries" (Sarah Tyacke, United Kingdom) considers the issues involved in establishing a series of national geographic/cartographic databases, including monitoring database production, new forms of storage and information retrieval systems for archiving, legal deposit and copyright laws, the organization of an archive at the national level, and the necessity for setting up a consultative body. (KM)

The notion that educators are committed to effective facilitation of racial integration in secondary schools has become the keystone in developing a socially just schooling system in South Africa. This paper sets out to determine the role educators play in the transformation of schools towards racial integration, as well as their nature and perception in facilitating racial integration in the truest sense. Findings emanating from this research indicate that the striking down of the policies and educational system of the Apartheid regime has propelled educators from segregated backgrounds into teaching learners from different racially diverse backgrounds. Similarly, most learners for the first time are being taught by racially diverse educators. A qualitative framework is used to investigate firsthand experiences of managing racial integration in relation to educators and school management, and their role in determining successful racial integration in secondary schools in South Africa. The purpose of this paper is to prepare educators with the accumulative knowledge, understanding and tenets of the Critical Race Theory (CRT) on how to create opportunities for decolonising classroom content and practice as well as addressing the weaknesses in previous approaches to racially integrate learners in desegregated schools. [For the complete Volume 20 proceedings, see ED622631.]

Rural social work education and practice in North America underwent a revival in recent decades and remains a valid praxis and pedagogic model for the 21st Century. The paper posits through rigorous literature review and analysis there are numerous elements central to North American (U.S. and Canadian) and Commonwealth of Nations (U.K., Australia, etc.) rural social work that make this framework significantly germane to Filipinos. These include the necessity to function in an environment of marginal or stressed community, personnel resources and educational opportunities. Significantly, the generalist practice model comprises the core of North American rural social work; it also predominates in Philippine methodology. Both frameworks require robust client and social justice advocacy roles encouraging awareness of needs and aspirations of at risk populations. Indeed, social work researcher Thelma Lee-Mendoza reports that historically modern Philippine practice originated and is primarily organized from North American models. Rural social workers in the West, like their Philippine counterparts, are more typically generalists and innovative environmental operators. Daily they rely on profound survey and calculation of services and innovative ways to make them meaningful. The paper concludes by urging creative international and transnational research with a view towards optimizing service delivery.

For several decades, lifelong learning has been discussed both in terms of its ability to provide both individual and national economic benefits. However, while the importance of lifelong learning, particularly in lieu of occupational changes, has been emphasized, the creation or adaptation of funding methods for lifelong learning specifically in the latter half of life has stalled. However, model funding programs that support learning in midlife and beyond do exist internationally, comprising resources like loans, scholarships, and workplace funding. One funding model that came to prominence over the last two decades is the Individual Learning Account (ILA), which has been implemented in multiple countries, albeit with limited success. Although ILAs have ultimately not been well-integrated into extant educational funding systems for lifelong learning, such as self- or employer-funded learning or student loans, the ILA model and its associated challenges suggest key lessons for informing more effective lifelong learning funding, particularly into older adulthood. This paper will discuss gaps in the following four countries' attempts to implement ILAs and integrate common adult education funding methods: Sweden, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. [For the published conference paper, see ED597554.]

Participation in adult education and training opportunities over the entire life-course is necessary in international and technologically advanced economies. However, there is a dearth of literature on equitable access to lifelong education opportunities, particularly for at risk and underserved adults in the labor force. Furthermore, opportunities for financing lifelong learning remain minimal for middle-age and older adult populations. The purpose of this research is to explore strategies or alternative models to fund lifelong education with attention to the Individual Learning Account (ILA) schemes. We explore initiatives across four countries--Canada, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. This research uses a qualitative descriptive approach to compare strategies to financing lifelong education targeting adult learners. Data were collected from key informant interviews (N=14), government documents, and research reports. Two major themes emerged that are common across all key informant interviews and documentation: (1) ILA offers key lessons in informing the creation of effective lifelong learning funding; (2) Low-income and low-skilled adults are often excluded from participation in ILA schemes. The authors' findings move adult education beyond a focus on providers of education to considering additional strategies for financing individual learning. [This paper was published in: J. P. Egan (Ed.), "Proceedings of the Adult Education in Global Times Conference." Ottawa, ON: Canadian Association for the Study of Adult Education." (ISBN 978-0-920056-53-0).]

For several decades, lifelong learning has been discussed both in terms of its ability to provide both individual and national economic benefits. However, while the importance of lifelong learning, particularly in lieu of occupational changes, has been emphasized, the creation or adaptation of funding methods for lifelong learning specifically in the latter half of life has stalled. However, model funding programs that support learning in midlife and beyond do exist internationally, comprising resources like loans, scholarships, and workplace funding. One funding model that came to prominence over the last two decades is the Individual Learning Account (ILA), which has been implemented in multiple countries, albeit with limited success. Although ILAs have ultimately not been well-integrated into extant educational funding systems for lifelong learning, such as self- or employer-funded learning or student loans, the ILA model and its associated challenges suggest key lessons for informing more effective lifelong learning funding, particularly into older adulthood. This paper will discuss gaps in the following four countries' attempts to implement ILAs and integrate common adult education funding methods: Sweden, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. [For the full proceedings, see ED597456.]

Government regulations require businesses to improve their processes and products/services in a green and sustainable manner. For being environmentally friendly, businesses should invest more on eco-innovation practices. Firms eco-innovate to promote eco-efficiency and sustainability. This paper evaluates the eco-innovation performance of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries with data envelopment analysis (DEA). Data were gathered from the world bank database and global innovation index report. Findings show that for most OECD countries, energy use and ecological sustainability are more important than other inputs and outputs for enhancing eco-innovation. [For full proceedings, see ED571459.]

Requiring students to complete their course assignments in partnership and in collaboration with students from other institutions is not commonplace teaching pedagogy. Even less so when they transcend disciplines and international borders. This paper presents a brief account of an ongoing collaborative effort between Ryerson University, Coventry University and Loughborough University to inculcate cross border communication and teamwork skills to their Built Environment undergraduate students by way of having them work collaboratively on joint project assignments. It describes its scope and organisation and summarises some circumstantial and anecdotal observations of participating students' inclination and disposition to working inter-institutionally. In an industry where cross disciplinary interactions and exchanges are the norm and where contracting parties to the project can frequently be across international divides, it is imperative that its professionals be trained in cross border teamwork skills. [For the complete proceedings, see ED557189.]

There are many potential harms to individuals, societies and environments associated with powerful "networks" of living, nonliving and symbolic entities (actants), such as financiers, banks, think tanks, transnational trade organizations and agreements, competitiveness, scientists, engineers, universities, governments, military, advertisements, entertainment, etc. Among myriad harms, perhaps the most serious is devastation from climate change linked to fossil fuel uses. Given apparent roles of many governments in supporting powerful problematic networks that involve fields of science and technology, many scholars recommend that school science not only enlighten students about harms and encourage them to make logical personal decisions about associated controversies but also prepare them to take socio-political "actions" that might contribute to their conceptions of a better world. In this chapter, international science education scholars discuss their uses and analyses of the 'STEPWISE' curricular and pedagogical framework--which is intended to facilitate such critical and activist science education. After a theoretical defence of the framework, a description is provided of a teacher's 3-year efforts to use it in his secondary school science teaching. This is followed by five summaries of theoretical analyses of the framework by scholars from five countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, the UK and the USA), including in terms of discursive psychology, neoliberalism, critical discourse analyses of well-being, inquiry-based learning, professional development and network mobilization in informal (online gaming) and formal school science and teacher education contexts. The chapter concludes with a brief summary of some relative merits of the STEPWISE framework and with a call for continued critical reflective practice. [For the complete volume, "Bridging Research and Practice in Science Education: Selected Papers from the ESERA 2017 Conference. Contributions from Science Education Research. Volume 6," see ED615249.]

Why has multicultural education developed differently in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, politically and culturally similar countries? I address this question with a historical and comparative study of how these three nations responded differently to the same global institutional trends. I show how not only did the existing institutional and ideological architecture of each country filter how it adopted the logic of pluralism that spread multiculturalism throughout the Anglo-American world in the 1960s and 1970s but that the resulting institutional settlement in each country was in turn unsettled by the neoliberal market logic that reshaped national education systems in the 1980s and 1990s, in turn altering domestic multicultural policies. Overall, this paper shows that not only do nation-level differences shape institutional change but do so through the accumulation of solutions to particular framings of domestic problems in the context of the global institutional change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the PISA [Programme for International Student Assessment] achievement of twenty countries in light of some of their demographic differences. SES [student socioeconomic status], nuclear family, gender, home language, and native status were predictive of achievement for every country. Demographics accounted for as little as 8 percent to as much as 22 percent of individual score variance depending on the country and subject. Being male was almost a universal advantage in math, but was a far greater disadvantage in reading for every country. The relative performance of some countries changed when scores were adjusted for demographic differences; however, the Asian countries and Finland remained on top. Instructional strategies related to countries performing above expectations were explored.

Using an innovative recruitment tool, the social network site Facebook, survey data were gathered from samples of the Australian general public and from around the world. Views on the gendering of mathematics, science, and ICT were gathered. In this paper we report the findings from six of the 15 questions on the survey, and only from respondents in predominantly English-speaking countries. The findings reveal that the majority was not gender-stereotyped about mathematics and related careers. However, if a gendered view was held, it was overwhelming to endorse the male stereotype. Male respondents' views were more strongly gendered than were females'. [For the complete proceedings, see ED585874.]

Internet-based learning is increasingly applied in medical education, but its effect in the field of public health training is still unclear. This meta-analysis was undertaken to explore the impact of Internet-based learning on students'/professionals' knowledge of public health compared with no intervention and with traditional face-to-face (FTF) formats. Two reviewers independently searched Medline, Web of Science, ProQuest, Google scholar, ERIC and Elsevier databases for relevant studies between 1st January, 1990 and 30th December, 2016. Studies in English language providing information on educational outcomes after Internet-based training in public health courses compared with no-intervention or a pre-intervention assessment, or with FTF control group were retrieved, reviewed, and assessed according to the established inclusion/exclusion criteria in the current study. There were 16 eligible studies with 1183 participants in total. Heterogeneity in results was detected across studies. A random effects model was used to pool effect sizes for knowledge outcomes. The pooled effect size (standardized mean difference, SMD) in comparison to no intervention was 1.92 (95% CI: 1.05 to 2.78; P<0.0001), favoring Internet-based interventions. Compared with FTF formats, the pooled effect size was 0.39 (95% CI: -0.06 to 0.83; P = 0.09). The study suggested that Internet-based learning was superior to no-intervention in improving students'/professionals' public health knowledge. Compared with traditional FTF formats, Internet-based learning showed a similar effect. [For the complete proceedings, see ED579335.]

The present study examined an international sample of adults from the Survey of Adult Skills administered by the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2009) to assess (1) how specific individual and country-level characteristics predict adult readiness to learn, and (2) how readiness to learn predicts adult skills in literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving in technology-rich environments. Multilevel modeling showed that education and hours worked positively predicted readiness to learn, while age negatively predicted it, and men showed high levels of readiness to learn than women. At the individual level, a positive relationship between readiness to learn and skill proficiency was observed, while at the country level a negative relationship occurred. This "readiness to learn paradox" is discussed in terms of cultural differences in learning environments.

We are delighted to welcome you to the International Psychological Applications Conference and Trends (InPACT) 2016, taking place in Lisbon, Portugal, from 30 of April to 2 of May, 2016. Psychology, nowadays, offers a large range of scientific fields where it can be applied. The goal of understanding individuals and groups (mental functions and behavioral standpoints), from this academic and practical scientific discipline, is aimed ultimately to benefit society. This International Conference seeks to provide some answers and explore the several areas within the Psychology field, new developments in studies and proposals for future scientific projects. The goal is to offer a worldwide connection between psychologists, researchers and lecturers, from a wide range of academic fields, interested in exploring and giving their contribution in psychological issues. The conference is a forum that connects and brings together academics, scholars, practitioners and others interested in a field that is fertile in new perspectives, ideas and knowledge. There is an extensive variety of contributors and presenters, which can supplement the 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 there are nationalities and cultures represented, inspiring multi-disciplinary collaborative links, fomenting intellectual encounter and development. InPACT 2016 received 332 submissions, from 37 different countries, reviewed by a double-blind process. Submissions were prepared to take form of Oral Presentations, Posters, Virtual Presentations and Workshops. It was accepted for presentation in the conference 96 submissions (29% acceptance rate). The conference also includes: (1) A keynote presentation from Prof. Dr. Richard Bentall (Institute of Psychology, Health & Society of the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom); (2) Three Special Talks, one from Emeritus Professor Carlos Amaral Dias (University of Coimbra, Director of Instituto Superior Miguel Torga, Vice-President of the Portuguese Association of Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, Private practitioner of psychiatry and psychoanalysis, Portugal) and Prof. Clara Pracana (Full and Training member of the Portuguese Association of Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, Portugal), another from Emeritus Professor Michael Wang (University of Leicester, United Kingdom), and a third one from Dr. Conceição Almeida (Founder of the Portuguese Association of Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytical Psychotherapy, and Vice-President of the Board. Member of the Teaching Committee, Portugal); (3) An Invited Talk from Dr. Ana Vasconcelos (SAMS--Serviços de Assistência Médico-Social do Sindicato dos Bancários de Sul e Ilhas, founding member of the Portuguese Association of Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, and member of NPA-Neuropshycanalysis Association, Portugal). Thus, we would like to express our gratitude to all our invitees. This volume is composed by the abstracts of the International Psychological Applications Conference and Trends (InPACT 2016), organized by the World Institute for Advanced Research and Science (W.I.A.R.S.). This conference addresses different categories inside Applied Psychology area and papers fit broadly into one of the named themes and sub-themes. To develop the conference program six main broad-ranging categories had been chosen, which also cover different interest areas: (1) In CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY: Emotions and related psychological processes; Assessment; Psychotherapy and counseling; Addictive behaviors; Eating disorders; Personality disorders; Quality of life and mental health; Communication within relationships; Services of mental health; and Psychopathology. (2) In EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY: Language and cognitive processes; School environment and childhood disorders; Parenting and parenting related processes; Learning and technology; Psychology in schools; Intelligence and creativity; Motivation in classroom; Perspectives on teaching; Assessment and evaluation; and Individual differences in learning. (3) In SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY: Cross-cultural dimensions of mental disorders; Employment issues and training; Organizational psychology; Psychology in politics and international issues; Social factors in adolescence and its development; Social anxiety and self-esteem; Immigration and social policy; Self-efficacy and identity development; Parenting and social support; and Addiction and stigmatization. (4) In LEGAL PSYCHOLOGY: Violence and trauma; Mass-media and aggression; Intra-familial violence; Juvenile delinquency; Aggressive behavior in childhood; Internet offending; Working with crime perpetrators; Forensic psychology; Violent risk assessment; and Law enforcement and stress. (5) In COGNITIVE AND EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY: Perception, memory and attention; Decision making and problem-solving; Concept formation, reasoning and judgment; Language processing; Learning skills and education; Cognitive Neuroscience; Computer analogies and information processing (Artificial Intelligence and computer simulations); Social and cultural factors in the cognitive approach; Experimental methods, research and statistics; and Biopsychology. (6) In PSYCHOANALYSIS AND PSYCHOANALYTICAL PSYCHOTHERAPY: Psychoanalysis and psychology; The unconscious; The Oedipus complex; Psychoanalysis of children; Pathological mourning; Addictive personalities; Borderline organizations; Narcissistic personalities; Anxiety and phobias; Psychosis; Neuropsychoanalysis. 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 Psychology and its applications. It includes an extensive variety of contributors and presenters by sharing their different personal, academic and cultural experiences. Authors will be invited to publish extended contributions for a book to be published by inScience Press. We would like to express thanks to all the authors and participants, the members of the academic scientific committee, partners and, of course, to the organizing and administration team for making and putting this conference together. (Individual papers contain references.) [Abstract modified to meet ERIC guidelines.]

Ogbu and Simon's (1998) and Ogbu's (2003) cultural-ecological theoretical framework postulates that voluntary immigrants, those who chose to migrate to a new land, would perform well academically because of their perceived beliefs that they could get a good education and could succeed more in their "new" land of opportunity than in their "native" country. However, does the aforementioned notion hold true for both African and Afro-Caribbean immigrants to North America (USA & Canada) and Europe (U.K.)? The present study addresses a gap identified by Pinder (2010); in which, she called for more studies to explore and document differences in African heritage students' performances in North America and Europe. Thus, this study examines and compares the academic performance of African and Afro-Caribbean immigrant students in STEM in North America and Europe. Findings do suggest that African students consistently do well academically in North American countries and in the U.K. (Europe), and these findings align with Ogbu's cultural-ecological assumptions about voluntary immigrants' performance in a "new" land of opportunity. On the other hand, although data findings suggest Afro-Caribbean students are performing well academically in North American countries, data findings also suggest that they are underperforming in comparison to their peers in the U.K., this finding conflicts with Ogbu and Simon's cultural-ecological assumption.

In the last decade, the number of asylum claims based on sexual orientation persecution has grown across the globe. Increasingly, individuals who fear violence or harassment based on their sexual orientation have sought refuge in countries with established asylum systems. Most of these established national asylum systems evolved from an international commitment to the protection of refugees as defined by the 1951 Convention Relating the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees. While the refugee standards set forth by these international documents do not specifically reference sexual orientation, many countries have interpreted these standards to include persecution based on sexual orientation. Yet even though the asylum systems are derived from common international documents and have converged on a number of issues including sexual orientation persecution, the process of asylum remains at the level of the nation-state. In this paper, I examine asylum cases based on sexual orientation persecution in order to look at the ways in which the international definition of asylum has been incorporated into the asylum systems of three countries when dealing with sexual orientation asylum cases. The ultimate goal is comparative: I examine and compare the asylum systems of the three countries - Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom- through an analysis of asylum cases based on sexual orientation in each country ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many European governments associate improving literacy with providing development assistance to regions like Africa and Asia from which the majority of the world's 774 million illiterates come. As school attendance is compulsory in the region, it is assumed that the Education for All (EFA) goals have been achieved and literacy is therefore not deemed a priority concern. It is in this context that the Institute and its partners, the Agence Nationale de Lutte Contre L'Illettrisme (ANLCI) and the UNESCO French National Commission, organized a Regional Meeting on "Literacy and the Promotion of Citizenship: The Challenge of Learning" from 2-5 April 2005 in Lyon, France. With the support of the European Union and the involvement of the European Association of Education of Adults (EAEA), it brought together 145 participants representing governments, research institutes and universities, non-government organizations, and public and private literacy providers. This publication brings together the main presentations from that meeting, and as such documents the diversity of literacy-related thinking and practice in the region. This publication begins with a foreword by Adama Ouane and contains the following papers: (1) Literacies for Active Citizenships (Evangelos Intzidis and Eleni Karantzola); (2) Literacy and Social Inclusion in Ireland and the European Union (Inez Bailey); (3) Young Adults, Gender and Literacy: A UK Perspective (Bethia McNeil); (4) Ensuring Quality in Literacy: Populations, Practices, Pedagogy and Professionalism (Ursula Howard); (5) Assessing Low Levels of Literacy: The Case of France (Jean-Pierre Jeantheau); (6) Basic skills education for the Turkish Roma population (Maria Simion); (7) Social Integration through Literacy: The Example of Romas in Bulgaria (Maria Todorova); (8) Literacy for Migrants: The Nordic Example (Qarin Franker); (9) Interventions for the Imprisoned Populations in Greece (Dimitrios Bekiaridis-Moschou); (10) Professional Development Training Staff in Austria (Antje Doberer-Bey); (11) Ensuring Learners' Participation: The Experience of Frontier College (John O'Leary); (12) Ensuring Learners' Participation Workshop Skills for Life in England (Andrew Nelson); (13) Workplace Basic Education in Ireland (Inez Bailey and Helen Ryan); (14) The Role of Municipalities in Literacy (Rosa M. Falgas i Casanovas); (15) From Adult Learners' Week to Local Education Plan (Lidwien Vos de Wael); (16) Literacy and Numeracy in Local Communities (Jan Eldred); (17) Libraries as an Open Space for Further Education (Barbora Horavova); (18) Illiterates Online! Learning reading and writing via internet? (Ralf Kellershohn); and (19) Literacy through ICTs (Helen Ryan). Individual papers contain tables, footnotes, notes, endnotes, appendices and references. [Additional funding for this paper was provided by French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Conseil general du Rhone, and Trace Element Institut pour l'UNESCO, and Ecole nationale superieure des sciences.]

This document contains the second volume of the proceedings of the 30th Annual Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education. Conference presentations are centered around the theme "Mathematics at the Centre." This volume features 60 research reports by presenters with last names beginning between Abr and Dri: (1) The Odds of Understanding the Law of Large Numbers: A Design for Grounding Intuitive Probability in Combinatorial Analysis (Dor Abrahamson and Rose M. Cendak); (2) Imaginary-Symbolic Relations, Pedagogic Resources and the Constitution of Mathematics for Teaching in In-Service Mathematics Teacher Education (Jill Adler and Zain Davis); (3) Relationship between Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers' Teaching and Learning Beliefs and Their Practices (Hatice Akkoc and Feral Ogan-Bekiroglu); (4) Teachers' Awareness of Dimensions of Variation: A Mathematics Intervention Project (Thabit Al-Murani); (5) The Student Teacher and the Others: Multimembership on the Process of Introducing Technology in the Classroom (Nelia Amado and Susana Carreira); (6) Improving Student Teachers' Understanding of Fractions (Solange Amorim Amato); (7) Autodidactic Learning of Probabilistic Concepts through Games (Miriam Amit and Irma Jan); (8) Graduate Students' Processes in Generating Examples of Mathematical Objects (Samuele Antonini); (9) Reasoning in an Absurd World: Difficulties with Proof by Contradiction (Samuele Antonini and Maria Alessandra Mariotti); (10) Will Penelope Choose Another Bridegroom? Looking for an Answer through Signs (Ferdinando Arzarello, Luciana Bazzini, Francesca Ferrara, Ornella Robutti, Cristina Sabena, and Bruna Villa); (11) Motivation and Perceptions of Classroom Culture in Mathematics of Students across Grades 5 to 7 (Chryso Athanasiou and George N. Philippou); (12) Deductive Reasoning: Different Conceptions and Approaches (Michal Ayalon and Ruhama Even); (13) The Tendency to Use Intuitive Rules among Students with Different Piagetian Cognitive Levels (Reuven Babai); (14) Coming to Appreciate the Pedagogical Uses of CAS (Lynda Ball and Kaye Stacey); (15) Students' Conceptions of "m" and "c": How to Tune a Linear Function (Caroline Bardini and Kaye Stacey); (16) A Contradiction between Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Teaching Indications (Ibrahim Bayazit and Eddie Gray); (17) Identifying and Supporting Mathematical Conjectures through the Use of Dynamic Software (David Benitez Mojica and Manuel Santos Trigo); (18) Students Constructing Representations for Outcomes of Experiments (Palma Benko and Carolyn A. Maher); (19) Logarithms: Snapshots from Two Tasks (Tanya Berezovski and Rina Zazkis); (20) Trying to Reach the Limit--The Role of Algebra in Mathematical Reasoning (Christer Bergsten); (21) Semiotic Sequence Analysis--Constructing Epistemic Types Empirically (Angelika Bikner-Ahsbahs); (22) Service Teaching: Mathematical Education of Students of Client Departments (Erhan Bingolbali, John Monaghan, and Tom Roper); (23) Students' Thinking about the Tangent Line (Irene Biza, Constantinos Christou, and Theodossios Zachariades); (24) Habermas' Theory of Rationality as a Comprehensive Frame for Conjecturing and Proving in School (Paulo Boero); (25) Extending Students' Understanding of Decimal Numbers via Realistic Mathematical Modeling and Problem Posing (Cinzia Bonotto); (26) Different Media, Different Types of Collective Work in Online Continuing Teacher Education: Would You Pass the Pen, Please? (Marcelo C. Borba and Rubia B. A. Zulatto); (27) Reformulating "Mathematical Modelling" in the Framework of the Anthropological Theory of Didactics (Marianna Bosch, Fco. Javier Garcia, Josep Gascon, and Luisa Ruiz Higueras); (28) Students' Impressions of the Value of Games for the Learning of Mathematics (Leicha A. Bragg); (29) The Transition from Arithmetic to Algebra: To Reason, Explain, Argue, Generalize and Justify (Trygve Breiteig and Barbro Grevholm); (30) Resisting Reform Pedagogy: Teacher and Learner Contributions (Karin Brodie); (31) Manifestations of Affordances of a Technology-Rich Teaching and Learning Environment (TRTLE) (Jill P. Brown); (32) Types of Representations of the Number Line in Textbooks (Alicia Bruno and Noemi Cabrera); (33) Educational Neuroscience: New Horizons for Research in Mathematics Education (Stephen R. Campbell); (34) Variability in a Probability Context: Developing Pre-Service Teachers' Understanding (Daniel L. Canada); (35) Implementing a Reform-Oriented Mathematics Syllabus: A Survey of Secondary Teachers (Michael Cavanagh); (36) Student's Modelling with a Lattice of Conceptions in the Domain of Linear Equations and Inequations (Hamid Chaachoua, Marilena Bittar, and Jean-Francois Nicaud); (37) Using Reading and Coloring to Enhance Incomplete Prover's Performance in Geometry Proof (Ying-Hao Cheng and Fou-Lai Lin); (38) Aspects of Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Decimals (Helen Chick, Monica Baker, Thuy Pham, and Hui Cheng); (39) Collaborative Action Research on Implementing Inquiry-Based Instruction in an Eighth Grade Mathematics Class: An Alternative Mode for Mathematics Teacher Professional Development (Erh-Tsung Chin, Yung-Chi Lin, Yann-Tyng Ko, Chi-Tung Chien, and Hsiao-Lin Tuan); (40) Routine and Novel Mathematical Solutions: Central-Cognitive or Peripheral-Affective Participation in Mathematics Learning (Mei-Shiu Chiu); (41) The Role of Self-Generated Problem Posing in Mathematics Exploration (Victor V. Cifarelli and Jinfa Cai); (42) A Longitudinal Study of Children's Mental Computation Strategies (Barbara Clarke, Doug M. Clarke, and Marj Horne); (43) Assessing Fraction Understanding Using Task-Based Interviews (Doug M. Clarke, Michal Sukenik, Anne Roche, and Annie Mitchell); (44) Evaluation of a Teaching Concept for the Development of Problem Solving Competences in Connection with Self-Regulation (Christina Collet and Regina Bruder); (45) Developing Probability Thinking in Primary School: A Case Study on the Constructive Role of Natural Language in Classroom Discussions (Valeria Consogno, Teresa Gazzolo, and Paulo Boero); (46) Collaboration with Teachers to Improve Mathematics Learning: Pedagogy at Three Levels (Tom J. Cooper, Annette R. Baturo, and Edlyn J. Grant); (47) "Aim High--Beat Yourself": Effective Mathematics Teaching in a Remote Indigenous Community (Tom J. Cooper, Annette R. Baturo, Elizabeth Warren, and Edlyn J. Grant); (48) Development of Children's Understanding of Length, Area, and Volume Measurement Principles (Margaret Curry, Michael Mitchelmore, and Lynne Outhred; (49) Mathematics-for-Teaching: The Cases of Multiplication and Division (Brent Davis, Elaine Simmt, and Dennis Sumara); (50) Generative Concept Images (Gary E. Davis and Catherine A. Pearn); (51) Developmental Assessment of Data Handling Performance Age 7-14 (Pauline Davis, Maria Pampaka, Julian Williams, and Lawrence Wo); (52) The Effect of Different Teaching Tools in Overcoming the Impact of the Intuitive Rules (Eleni Deliyianni, Eleni Michael, and Demetra Pitta-Pantazi); (53) Investigating Social and Individual Aspects in Teacher's Approaches to Problem Solving (Fien Depaepe, Erik De Corte, and Lieven Verschaffel); (54) Maths Avoidance and the Choice of University (Pietro Di Martino and Francesca Morselli); (55) Primary Students' Reasoning about Diagrams: The Building Blocks of Matrix Knowledge (Carmel M. Diezmann); (56) Integrating Errors into Developmental Assessment: "Time" for Ages 8-13 (Brian Doig, Julian Williams, Lawrence Wo, and Maria Pampaka); (57) Vygotsky's Everyday Concepts/Scientific Concepts Dialectics in School Context: A Case Study (Nadia Douek); (58) Creating Mathematical Models with Structures (Katherine Doyle); (59) Mechanisms for Consolidating Knowledge Constructs (Tommy Dreyfus, Nurit Hadas, Rina Hershkowitz, and Baruch Schwarz); and (60) Reconciling Factorizations Made with CAS and with Paper-and-Pencil: The Power of Confronting Two Media (Paul Drijvers, Carolyn Kieran, Andre Boileau, Fernando Hitt, Denis Tanguay, Luis Saldanha, and Jose Guzman). (Individual papers contain references.)

This submission contains the Proceedings of the 2005 Annual Meeting of the Canadian Mathematics Education Study Group (CMESG), held at the University of Ottawa in Ottawa, Ontario. The CMESG is a group of mathematicians and mathematics educators who meet annually to discuss mathematics education issues at all levels of learning. The aims of the Study Group are: to advance education by organizing and coordinating national conferences and seminars to study and improve the theories of the study of mathematics or any other aspects of mathematics education in Canada at all levels; and to undertake research in mathematics education and to disseminate the results of this research. These proceedings include plenary lectures, working group reports, topic session descriptions, new PhD reports, and summaries of ad hoc sessions. Papers include: (1) Learning Mathematics as Developing Identity in the Classroom (Stephen Lerman); (2) Formative Influences (Jean E. Taylor); (3) Mathematics Education, Society, and Peace (Arthur Powell and A. J. Dawson); (4) Learning Mathematics in the Early Years (pre-K-3) (Ann Anderson, Laurent Theis, and Ruth Dawson); (5) Discrete Mathematics (Leo Jonker and David Lidstone); (6) Socio-Cultural Dimensions of Mathematics Learning (Kathy Nolan and Elaine Simmt); (7) Partition of Integers and Their Reciprocals as Hidden K-12 Mathematics Curriculum (Sergei Abramovich and Peter Brouwer); (8) Mathematiques et musique (Chantal Buteau) [Written in French]; (9) Students' Understanding of the Completeness Property of the Set of Real Numbers (Analia Berge); (10) Study of Two Teaching Approaches Focusing on Spatial Sense with Three Different Profiles of High School Students (Patricia Marchand); (11) Communicating Mathematics Online: The Case of Online Help (Dragana Martinovic); (12) Attending in Mathematics: A Dynamic View about Students' Thinking (Immaculate Kizito Namukasa); (13) Silence and Voice in the Mathematics Classroom (David Wagner); (14) What Can We Learn from Learner-Generated Examples: A Case of Linear Algebra? (Marianna Bogomolny); (15) Reconstructing Foundational Mathematical Knowledge: Experiences of Math-Anxious Elementary Teachers in a Graduate Course (Rina Cohen); (16) Roadkill, Skeletons, and Other Mathematical Metaphors (Julie Long and Gladys Sterenberg); (17) Mathematics in Waldorf Education (John Grant McLoughlin); (18) Using Mathematics as a Source When Creating Metaphors or Images for Teaching and Learning (Joyce Mgombelo and Dave Hewitt); (19) Refining the Canadian Survey Questions for the "Census at School" Survey to Provide Richer Mathematical Learning (Joel Yan, Mary Townsend, and Florence Glanfield); and (20) Undergraduate Students' Errors That May Be Related to Confusing a Set with Its Elements (Kalifa Traore, Caroline Lajoie, and Roberta Mura). Appended are: (1) Working Groups at Each Annual Meeting; (2) Plenary Lectures at Each Annual Meeting; and (3) Proceedings of Annual Meetings. Individual papers contain references, figures, and tables. Individual papers contain references, figures, and tables. [Abstract modified to meet ERIC guidelines. For the 2004 proceedings, see ED529563.]

This monograph presents 26 papers addressed to workshop sessions representing thought and innovation in employment counseling and vocational guidance. Two papers are written in German, one in French, and 23 in English. Abstracts preceding each paper appear in the two languages other than that used for the paper itself. Topics covered include training of counseling services personnel (Germany); counseling for midlife career change; policies for career information, guidance, and counseling in school-work transition; PLACE, an individualized learning package to assess employability; measuring employment counselor effectiveness; career decison making and computers; counseling for mid-career change; computerized job-person matching (Sweden); conceptual approach to career education; career development in industry; employment counseling of college students (United Kingdom); "focusing" in adult career counseling; life skills training; brokering and employment counseling; STEP, self-exploration programs for career selection (Germany); competency-based inservice program for counselors; impact of a computerized guidance information system; vocational counseling as an instructional process; evaluation of employment counseling; and computer-aided vocational counseling in mid-career change. (YLB)

This proceedings provides the texts of opening remarks, the official welcome, and 37 papers presented at an international symposium on the theme, "Computer Conferencing: Allied Technologies and New Applications." The papers are divided into seven categories: (1) Distance and Adult Education; (2) Socio-Psychological Issues; (3) Computer Conferencing Applications; (4) General Educational Issues; (5) Electronic Conferencing and Beyond; (6) Electronic Message Interchange; and (7) Research Applications of Computer Conferencing. The text is supplemented by various figures, and most papers have reference lists. (EW)

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)

An analysis of a number of university-school collaborative efforts in the United States and Canada to establish professional development schools, and of action research efforts in the United Kingdom, has shown that the partnership efforts studied devote significantly less attention to ideas about the nature of learning, teaching, schools, and teacher learning than the attention they devote to the mechanics of establishing the partnerships and to the interpersonal relationships involved. The thinking and activity of many such efforts, including teacher education reform efforts, are not congruent with the research literature or reform-oriented scholarly writing on learning, the knowledge base for teaching, adult learning, reflective practice, and teacher development. As the appropriate next stage, it is recommended that university-school partnerships and teacher education reform efforts be merged with broader-scale school renewal efforts and be rethought to include recent conceptualizations of the nature of learning, schools, teaching, and teacher professional development. Four visions are suggested as part of the rethinking: (1) see learning as experience-based intellectual construction; (2) see teaching as professional problem-identification and problem-solving; (3) see schools as morally based communities of learners; and (4) see professional knowledge, competence, and values as developments from reflective practice. (Contains 27 references.) (JLS)