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Planning curricula have continually evolved to meet changing societal needs, technological change and employer expectations. The professional accrediting body in the United Kingdom, the Royal Town Planning Institute, stipulates the core planning skills required, differentiating between formal classroom-based learning and professional competencies, derived in practice. Previous research identified the need to address perceived inadequacies in graduate planners' practical skills, such as decision-making, leadership, and communication, including negotiating, influencing and using evidence. Emphasis has also been placed on planning schools sharing innovative practice to improve student learning. This paper critically reflects on the challenges of teaching diverse cohorts and presents the findings from a sponsored teaching exchange research programme. Case studies drawn from each institution are used to illustrate practice-orientated planning education approaches in the classroom to better equip students for the workplace.

In the UK, the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 created a positive duty on the public sector to promote disability equality. This duty extends to higher education and local planning authorities. Based on Zuber-Skerrit's CRASP model for professional development, this paper examines an initiative to enact the duty. It details a completed action research project with undergraduate students and an adult learning project, that works with adults labeled as "learning disabled". The paper considers how this co-educational learning experience enabled the undergraduate students to engage with the principles of inclusive design in the built environment and offers a model for how inclusive policy and practice may be implemented at the university level, and particularly in built environment courses.

This article is an account of my search for professional identity as a new university lecturer through the use of the peer observation of teaching (POT) techniques. Through a synthesis of selected theoretical literature, associated critical reflection, and my own experiences of professional development through POT, the paper presents a conceptual framework for POT that accommodates both technical development, critical know-how in the classroom, and personal growth and change. The paper argues that an instrumental interpretation of POT is not sufficient to enhance teacher performance in the classroom. Rather, learning about teaching, and heightening a sense of professionalism stems from a continuous process of transforming personal meaning. This demands an active engagement with pedagogical theory, purposeful critical reflection on classroom practice, and a challenging of assumptions through shared critical reflection.

This paper reflects on the collaborative learning experiences of two 'student teachers' who have recently completed a Masters in Higher Education. Its purpose is to enhance our general understanding, and to encourage debate on how the professional expertise and confidence of new academics may be supported. Specifically, the article examines the use of classroom observation and associated reflective activities between student teachers as important cornerstones for professional growth and in developing a sense of collegiality. The paper sets the context by drawing together the theoretical literature relating to classroom observation and reflective practice. Then it draws on our experiences of using a particular classroom observation tool (FIAC) and how our learning was enriched through the exchange of written reflections. The paper illustrates how shared reflective activities between peers, such as story-telling, deepens understanding. In particular, it highlights the importance of understanding the emotional dynamics at play in learning.

Describes and evaluates the use of Web page design in an undergraduate course in the United Kingdom on town planning. Highlights include incorporating information and communication technologies into higher education; and a theoretical framework for the use of educational technology. (LRW)

Discussion of theories of facilitation in teaching focuses on citizen participation and the role of the facilitator in town planning. Highlights include hierarchies of learning; student-centered learning; facilitating community participation; information technology skills and interpersonal skills; and a rationale for participation. (LRW)

To purchase or authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8500.2007.00526.x Byline: Deborah Peel (1), Michael Gregory Lloyd (1) Keywords: land use planning; model policy; public policy efficiency Abstract: Improving public policy efficiency and effectiveness in land use planning is an established priority on the prevailing political agenda in the UK. Practical measures to enhance policy formulation in local land use development plans in Scotland offer an interesting case study of an attempt to improve policy consistency, and to secure efficiency gains in policy authorship. This article considers the specific focus on the drafting stage of public policy-making drawing on insights provided by research into the production of model policies in Scotland. It questions the extent to which such an initiative will promote a more robust public policy-making discipline in light of the policy cycle. The discussion of the case study illustrates a practical attempt by central government to enhance public policy-making at the local level, while raising questions about the dangers of invoking a technocratic and instrumentalist approach to policy analysis. Author Affiliation: (1)University of Liverpool