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Newsletter September 2018 The LSRN newsletter is a channel for all interested in research and use of evidence in the Learning & Skills sector. Items for the next issue should be sent by 15 th November to Andrew Morris [email protected] Update The Networking the Networks initiative aims to get better value out of existing networks concerned with research and evidence in the sector. The Working Group has: Set up a Twitter account @LSRNetwork is very active enabling people to share information about activities across the country in real time. It has 337 followers and 250 tweets had been sent (mid-Sept). Started developing this Newsletter The new Spotlight series features the work of participating networks and people. The two- column format is intended to aid reading. Let us know if it doesn’t! Given the increasing number of items received, it is likely to come out a little more frequently from September. Web presence A website for Networking the Networks (NtN) is currently being designed and will be available Networking the Networks
Transcript of Newsletter - lsrn.files.wordpress.com · Web viewFurther Education Tutorial Network . FETN Annual...
NewsletterSeptember 2018
The LSRN newsletter is a channel for all interested in research and use of evidence in the Learning & Skills sector. Items for the next issue should be sent by 15th November to Andrew Morris [email protected]
Update The
Networking the Networks initiative aims to get better value out of existing networks concerned with research and evidence in the sector. The Working Group has:
Set up a Twitter account @LSRNetwork is very active enabling people to share information about activities across the country in real time. It has 337 followers and 250 tweets had been sent (mid-Sept).
Started developing this NewsletterThe new Spotlight series features the work of participating networks and people. The two-column format is intended to aid reading. Let us know if it doesn’t! Given the increasing number
of items received, it is likely to come out a little more frequently from September.
Web presenceA website for Networking the Networks (NtN) is currently being designed and will be available later in the Autumn. It will provide introductions to, and links to, participating networks.
Future plans Plans for developing the NtN initiative over the coming academic year will be discussed at an LSRN workshop on 11th October. The outcome of this will be featured in the next issue of this Newsletter.
Networking the Networks
EventsGreater Manchester Area LSRNOctober meeting The next network meeting is on 10th October 2018 at Ashton Sixth Form between 4pm-6pm. The format includes development time and discussion/community of praxis around member’s research activities (and cake!). For further information contact Jo Fletcher-Saxon [email protected]
Beds, Herts and Bucks LSRNNovember meeting
The next meeting is on 7th November 2018 between 6pm-8pm at Bedford College. Sai Loo of University College London will give a key note to discuss vocational knowledge and pedagogy. For further information contact Sam Jones [email protected]
London and South East LSRN November meeting
The next meeting is on 23rd November 2018 starting at 1:30pm in Room 1.16, King's College London, Waterloo Bridge Wing, Waterloo Bridge Road, London. If you would like to present, please get in touch and please feel free to bring along interested colleagues.
We are hoping to have a summer 2019 event too. If there are any offers of hosting an event, we would like to hear from you! Please feel free to bring along interested colleagues. For further information contact [email protected]
British Education Research Association BERA is running an event on 8th November 2018 Transitions: Challenges Threats & Opportunities across the Post-compulsory Sectors.
This event is for all interested in post compulsory education and higher education including: Higher Education academics; College-based HE academics; Adult Education practitioners, Students and Community Education practitioners
For further information https://www.bera.ac.uk/events#upcoming-events
Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER)Seminar series for this term
These seminars are held either on the LSE Campus in London or the University of Sheffield. Please see below for exact times and locations. For details on times and how to register, see the CVER website: http://cver.lse.ac.uk/events/default.asp 26th September. LSE. Steve Machin (LSE) Trade and Deskilling
24th October: Sheffield. Jens Mohrenweiser. Bournemouth University. The Shelf Life of Incumbent Workers during Accelerating Technological Change: Evidence from a Training Regulation Reform
28th November: LSE. Massimiliano Bratti University of Milan. Employment protection and worker training: Evidence from Italy'
12th December: LSE. Kai Liu. University of Cambridge. Estimating the Dynamic Effects of a Job Training Program with Multiple Alternatives
Learning & Work Institute Annual Conference on English, Maths and ESOL
A joint conference on 14th November 2018 is being organised by the Learning and Work Institute, UCL Institute of Education, UCU, RaPAL and NATECLA:
Expressions of interest are welcomed from adult literacy, numeracy and ESOL practitioners, providers and researchers to offer interactive and engaging breakout sessions, linked to the conference theme of ‘Rethinking Participation’. Proposals should be submitted online by 17:00 Friday 5 October 2018.
Click for further information
Further Education Tutorial Network FETN Annual Conference
The Conference “Improving the Quality of Tutorial, Support and Learner Development” takes place on Friday 16th November 2018. It provides a unique opportunity for managers and practitioners across the sector to meet in a friendly, informal setting.
The workshops offer a range of themes that support the development and improvement of tutorial, support and learner development in Further Education, Higher Education and Work Based Learning.
For further details and booking (Event Code AC2018)visit www.fetn.org.uk
The British Association for Literacy in Development (BALID) Two events
Enhancing Community Development Through Literacy. On 18th October 2018 5pm at Feed the Minds, the Foundry, 17 Oval Way, London SE11 5RR. Dr Katy Newell-Jones, chair of BALID, will lead this Informal Literacy Discussion (ILD), drawing on her wealth of experience in Africa and Asia.
BALID AGM and meal on 22nd November 2018 5pm (AGM) and 6pm (meal) at The Scullery, Old Mary’s, in the basement of The Mitre pub, 24 Craven Terrace, Lancaster Gate, London W2 3QH. Come and get to know us, share wisdom, experience, and memories of Brian Street. All are welcome.
Story Shaping and Meaning Making – The Role Of Oral Storytelling in Literacy Development, on 11th December 5pm. This Informal Literacy Discussion will be led by Alastair Daniel of Roehampton University, and promises to offer a fresh and insightful look at the role of storytelling in the development of literacy.
For further information visit https://balid.org.uk/
Artificial Intelligence and education New discussion space
How should educators respond to the way the world is changing as a result of developments in artificial intelligence?
Two former senior managers from City and Islington College, Anna Douglas and David Swinscoe, are working together to create a discursive space for educators to explore the following questions:
what would good AI education look like? how does AI impact on how and what is taught
within different subjects and disciplines? what CPD would enable teachers to be confident
about AI in all its various forms and uses ?
Their starting point for discussion is that educators do have a role in developing knowledgeable citizens and users so that they can engage in AI developments in a more informed way.
If you are interested in being part of this discussion please sign up here for a free event on 11th October pm. If you are unable to attend but interested in finding out more send an email outlining your area of interest in AI and education to [email protected]
ResearchCoalition for Evidence-Based Education (CEBE)New Evidence for Leadership (E4L) group
A common complaint from practitioner-researchers is that they feel unsupported by the leadership of their organisation. Doing something about this emerged as a priority at the last consultation event organised by the Coalition for Evidence-Based Education. As a result, a new cross-sector group has been set up, called Evidence for Leadership (E4L). This is now inviting networks in all sectors of education to circulate a short questionnaire about evidence (rigorous or anecdotal) on the role of organisational leaders in developing an evidence-based culture.If you would like to forward this questionnaire or find out more about the E4L group, contact Andrew Morris at [email protected]
Research & Practice in Adult Literacy (RAPAL)Collaboration and Connections - call for papers
The theme for RaPAL’s next edition, Journal 96, is Collaboration and Connections - how we use our English and maths to negotiate and build lives, and
the role of educator research in making sense of managing it all.
How do we reconcile curricula with our learners and contexts? How does educational technology help and what alternatives serve better? What numeracies do we find in literacy and vice versa? This edition showcases English and maths andragogy and the research practices which underpin our work.
Contributions from teachers, learners, researchers and anyone else involved in literacies, from both new and experienced writers are welcomed, with formats including:
An extended academic discussion A reflective piece in text, audio or visual
form on your experience of teaching or learning
An innovative idea you have tried in the classroom or beyond communicated through text, audio, or video.
A poem, narrative, or other visually creative piece.
See the RaPAL journal for further information on writing for the journal or contact Tara Furlong to discuss your ideas.
Deadline: First drafts by Sunday 30th September 2018 or earlier, to [email protected]
Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP)Research in progress
Three research projects are currently in progress at AELP:
Employers in the driving seat? New thinking for FE leadership
The unique role of private training providers in meeting policy priorities: UK and international cases
Off-the-job training element of apprenticeships: international comparisons
To find out more about either of these, contact Cath Gladding [email protected]
UNESCO #ALL4SOCIALCHANGEPhD Webinar Series
The UNESCO Chair in Adult Literacy and Learning for Social Transformation is calling for presentations for a PhD webinar series on Adult Literacy and Learning (ALL) for Social Change (#ALL4SocialChange)
The series seeks to create a diverse platform for exploring issues, potentialities, ongoing research and programmes in adult literacy and learning (ALL).
Eight PhD researchers will be selected to present their work through a webinar format to reach a wide variety of audiences globally. Your (preliminary) findings should point to potential impact at the policy and practitioner levels and be communicated in lay language.
New and emerging issues in ALL are encouraged, including, but not limited to:
• ALL and transformation of societies
• ALL across sectors: health, agriculture etc
• ALL in gender and/or youth empowerment
• Distinctive/blurring boundaries between formal, informal and non-formal ALL spaces
To apply, please complete the application form at http://bit.ly/WebinarAppFormWord. Then submit a one-minute video showcasing your research and its potential implications for policy-making and practice. Deadline: September 30th.
Please send applications and questions to Hélène Binesse ([email protected]) or Chris Millora ([email protected]). You may download this call here: http://bit.ly/ALLCallForPresentations.
Spotlight
Transforming lives and communities UCU research project
Dr Vicky Duckworth, Edge Hill University and Dr Rob Smith Birmingham City University
The further education sector is sometimes overlooked: in many ways it does not have the status of schools and universities (for example, the disparity in pay and allocation of government funding) and it is not well understood by those outside its reach.The project provides rich evidence of how the further education (FE) sector is vital in transforming lives and communities in 21st century Britain. It makes visible the positive power of FE within and across diverse communities. It draws on digital data gathering tools and social media and places a strong emphasis on applying these tools as part of a model of research as social practice. The research is housed and shared on a digital public platform that offers a sharp interactive lens to expose how colleges’ local knowledge and the space they occupy in their communities is of great importance in challenging intergenerational inequality. Drawing on a mixed method approach - which includes a series of rich narratives from students, teachers, family members, employers and others – the research exposes that even with an instrumental centralised policy emphasis FE produces a great many often unmeasured social benefits for individuals, their families and beyond. The research is underpinned by our desire to reveal how FE is much more than a skills conveyor belt that is there especially or exclusively for ‘vocational’ qualifications. An example is shown in our interim report An overview of the findings from the research can be found in our recent paper based on the ‘Triple Lock’ Download transformational approaches to teaching and learning.
Publications & communications
Royal Society and British AcademyReport on educational research
The British Academy and Royal Society have been leading a project looking at how better use can be made of educational research to inform both education practice and policy making. The report of this project, “Harnessing Educational Research”, looks at the role of research within the wider education ecosystem and makes recommendations which focus on how to facilitate more strategic interaction and collaboration between researchers, practitioners and policy makers to identify and address key research questions and how the ecosystem could function more effectively to support the use of research. The report will be available from the academies’ websites from 16 October 2018.
Journal of Vocational Education and Training (JVET) Celebrating 70 years of publication
The Journal of Vocational Education and Training turned seventy in September 2018. In 1948 the government set up three Emergency Training Colleges (ETCs) within the technical colleges in Bolton and Huddersfield, and in the North West London Polytechnic in London to train technical teachers to meet the needs of a country rebuilding itself after the war. The three principals of these ETCs founded The Vocational Aspect of Secondary and Further Education, predecessor to the Journal
of Vocational Education and Training (JVET), which has been published ever since. To mark our anniversary, the journal has produced a free-access on-line special celebration issue with an article from each of the journal’s seven decades. For example: an analysis from the early 1960s of Russia’s technical development; an insightful article from the 1970s on the unequal experience of women and from the 1990s and from 2016 there is a comparison of higher vocational education systems in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. This special edition is available here: http://explore.tandfonline.com/content/ed/rjve-70th-anniversary-vsi .
Like our founders in 1948, we are committed to better understanding all aspects of vocational education and training, and very much encourage submissions from researchers working in this field.
Contact: Kevin Orr Associate Editor of JVET
Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER)Recent publications
CVER Research PapersLabour Market Outcomes of Older Versus Younger Apprentices: A Comparison of Earnings Differentials.Steven McIntosh and Damon Morris September 2018 Paper No' CVERDP016
Do Apprenticeships Pay? Evidence for EnglandChiara Cavaglia, Sandra McNally and Guglielmo VenturaSeptember 2018 Paper No' CVERDP015
CVER Briefing NoteApprenticeships in England: what does research tell us?Sandra McNally. July 2018 Paper No' CVERBRF008
For further information and papers, when available, please contact: [email protected]
AELP Recent publications
T levels Work Placements
This research project examines the purpose and current practices in work placement. It aimed to understand the challenges that may be faced in introducing the range and volume of work placements now required and to make recommendations.
This research was undertaken through surveys of training providers and FE colleges and employers across England, and through examination of ten detailed case studies of providers and employers who are already engaged with the concept of work experience and work placements.
Recognising Excellence in the Governance of Independent Training Providers
This project addressed the questions of what defines good governance in the ITP sector and what structures are needed to support and promote it. The project looked in detail at the comments and judgements of Ofsted inspectors made in their inspection reports, reviewed the shape and form of the sector via a semi-structured survey and undertook six observation visits to evaluate governance in action.
Employers in the driving seat? New thinking for FE leadership.
This short stimulus paper aims to open minds and promote active, informed leadership, in this case about the role of employers in FE and skills. It takes seriously the proposition that meaningful change can be generated through the reflection and innovation of leaders in the sector. The final report is due in December 2018.
Book on Access to HE planned
Co-author, LSRN participant Sam Broadhead
A book that takes a critical look at Access to HE education from its early days in the late 1960s to more current developments is being written by Dr Samantha Broadhead from Leeds Arts university; Tony Hudson from University of East London and Rosemarie Davis from the Skills Company, Manchester. It proposes that there are particular ‘Access’ values that are shared by practitioners and sometimes these are at odds with the needs of higher education which are partly driven by a neoliberal discourse. The ways in which policies and procedures have been developed historically in light of these tensions are explored. The project also is an example of cross-sector collaboration. Hopefully publication will be in early 2019. Contact: [email protected]
European Association for Practitioner Research on Improving Learning (EAPRIL) Getting the most from collaboration
In a recent webinar (see youtube), three colleagues from EAPRIL discussed research from Switzerland, the Netherlands and the UK on why teachers and leaders find collaboration useful. Marcelo Giglio, Loes van Wessum and Rebecca Eliahoo suggested ways in which teachers and educational leaders can get the most from collaborating together, especially at a time of increasingly rapid policy, regulatory and curricular changes.
Participants in the webinar said both digital and face to face professional learning communities need planned interventions so that they can be both effective and supportive. When it works well, collaboration is professionally helpful and there are a number of ways to increase its usefulness: for example, using Transactional Analysis and Non-Verbal Communication cues. An
article in the open access UAS Journal Special Issue 2018 with https://uasjournal.fi/in-english/improve-collaborative-lifelong-learning/ explains more about methods to help teachers and researchers collaborate and co-create.
LSRN informationhttp://lsrn.wordpress.com
LSRN regional and local area contacts
North East Maggie [email protected]
North West vacancy
Greater Manchester area Jo [email protected]
Yorkshire & Humberside Kevin Orr [email protected]
East Midlands Bill Esmond [email protected]
West Midlands Craig Tucker
Beds, Bucks and Herts Sam [email protected]
London & the South East Sai Loo [email protected]
South Coast Martyn [email protected]
Bristol area Amy Woodrow
