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This paper presents the results of the use of Kotter’s eight-step change management model (KCMM) to guide the implementation of a new requirement (curriculum mapping) as a supporting component of the Programme Development Policy at the University of Technology, Jamaica. The Programme Development Policy was revised and approved by the Academic Board in 2022, and it guides the development of undergraduate and graduate courses of study at the University. A supporting element of the policy is the newly introduced curriculum map, which encourages the mapping of the courses to the programme goals, programme objectives, and graduate attributes. Kotter’s eight-step change process guided the implementation of the map along with qualitative interviews with the chairs of the curriculum committees in each Academic Unit and the Associate Vice President for Quality Assurance at the University. The results showed that the curriculum map was a valuable addition to the programme development policy. However, greater sensitization and training are needed to ensure buy-in from the relevant stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Delayed child skill development is a common phenomenon in low- and middle-income countries. Effective and low-cost strategies suitable for application to less-developed countries are needed. We summarize empirical findings from recent papers that study a replication of the Jamaica Reach Up and Learn home visiting program in China, China REACH, and compare child skill growth profiles in the China Reach Up and Jamaica interventions., Methods: Different interventions often use different measures for assessing early childhood skill development. To estimate the growth of underlying skills across programs, we address the challenge that different programs use different assessments. We use a modified version of the Rasch model to anchor scores on common items to estimate skill development., Results: Language skill growth curves are comparable for both interventions. This pattern is consistent for the treatment and control groups across the interventions. Skill growth curves are not statistically significantly different between China REACH and Jamaican interventions. We find evidence of the importance of early investment., Conclusions: The China REACH intervention significantly improves the development of multiple skills. At the same ages, treatment effect sizes and skill growth curves are comparable across the Jamaica and China REACH interventions, despite differences in scale and cultural settings. The scale of the program is much greater in China than in Jamaica, showing that the Jamaican curriculum can be effectively expanded to larger populations. Annual costs per child are roughly $500 (2015 US dollars)., (Copyright © 2023 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly impacted education provision and access across the globe. One key aspect affected is academic advisement, vital to a student's university experience for enhancing success and engagement. While recognizing disparities between academic advisement and student progression at the University of Technology, Jamaica, the study explored the robustness and effectiveness of institutional academic advisement processes since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic toward successful student engagement and subsequent course completion. A mixed method approach, utilizing surveys, enabled the description of the advisor/advisee experience so that understanding of the role, function, and benefit of academic advisement and its practices could be reviewed. The research was informed through data collected from 108 students and 15 lecturers attached to a Bachelors of Education qualification. The findings revealed that 80% of students sought their advisors on matters related to their course of study. Whilst students valued the advisor's experience and approach, they also recognized weaknesses in administrative functions attached to the process, specifically in student support system capabilities and follow-up. Recommendations include the strategic institutionalization of a mandatory advisement function, enhanced through a dedicated unit with the purpose of successfully enriching the advisee/advisor experience for both student and institutional success in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]