Education Capacity Building Research Articles

The role of partnerships in academic capacity building in open and online distance education

In many parts of the world online education is still taking shape and faces many obstacles, including insufficient numbers of professionals prepared to teach using new technologies. This paper is a case study of academic capacity building to determine how a partnership between the University of South Africa (Unisa) and the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) in the United States influenced teaching and learning. The study sample comprised 50 faculty members enrolled in a master’s degree. The study included an online questionnaire with open and closed-ended questions. The findings show that despite a number of difficulties, the international experience provided a unique opportunity for faculty members to gain knowledge and skills, while concurrently putting these into practice. The difficulties highlighted by participants serve as rich input to improve the support services, most prominently those that enhance learners’ readiness and autonomy.

Comparative evaluation of the cost of water in northern Malawi: from rural water wells to science education

ABSTRACTWorldwide, improved sources of drinking water are still lacking for 663 million people. With Malawi as a case study, we aim to address the scarcity of data available to understand the full cost and options of drinking water at a regional level covering both urban and rural areas. We studied options in the northern region of Malawi under the following thematic areas: urban piped water, water wells, handpump spare part supply networks, household point-of-use water treatment, the cost of entering a water business and capacity building in science education. Primary locally sourced data were collected as well as secondary publically available data. Additionally, local markets were surveyed for spare part networks. This research has shown that when looking at water resource economics in northern Malawi, it is not a monopoly and options are available at a range of costs. The data challenge policy-makers to reach the last 10% of the population still lacking improved drinking water. This will require a combination of expansion of urban piped water infrastructure, new boreholes in rural areas, increased handpump functionality rates, scale-up of household drinking water point-of-use treatment and growth of local universities to train local experts within the sector.

Educational psychologists’ report-writing: acts of justice?

ABSTRACTOne of the major tasks of educational psychologists is the writing of reports. Often, all involvement, assessment and intervention culminate in the production of a report. This paper explores critically the tensions involved in writing reports which are closed down in their conformity to requirements of different bodies, while looking for possibilities of openings in this closure. We acknowledge that report-writing is caught in the economies of exchange and the impossibility of gift-giving, based on the writing of Jacques Derrida. This paper will draw upon a small qualitative study of seven experienced school psychologists, and using a Derridian framework, it makes the familiar strange and the strange familiar [Biesta, G., J. Allan, and R. Edwards. 2011. “The Theory Question in Research Capacity Building in Education: Towards an Agenda for Research and Practice.” British Journal of Educational Studies, 59 (3): 225–239.] on the process of report-writing.

Speaking of Supervision: A dialogic approach to building higher degree research supervision capacity in the creative arts

In the emergent field of creative practice higher degrees by research, first generation supervisors have developed new models of supervision for an unprecedented form of research, which combines creative practice and a written thesis. In a national research project, entitled ‘Effective supervision of creative practice higher research degrees’, we set out to capture and share early supervisors’ insights, strategies and approaches to supporting their creative practice PhD students. From the insights we gained during the early interview process, we expanded our research methods in line with a distributed leadership model and developed a dialogic framework. This led us to unanticipated conclusions and unexpected recommendations. In this study, we primarily draw on philosopher and literary theorist Mikhail Bakhtin’s dialogics to explain how giving precedence to the voices of supervisors not only facilitated the articulation of dispersed tacit knowledge, but also led to other discoveries. These include the nature of supervisors’ resistance to prescribed models, policies and central academic development programmes; the importance of polyvocality and responsive dialogue in enabling continued innovation in the field; the benefits to supervisors of reflecting, discussing and sharing practices with colleagues; and the value of distributed leadership and dialogue to academic development and supervision capacity building in research education.

Long-Distance Collaboration Proves Helpful to Ethiopians, Canadians

Long-Distance Collaboration Proves Helpful to Ethiopians, Canadians

A Comparative Assessment of Turkey for Its Status and Readiness for Knowledge Society from Human Capital Perspective

In this study, assessment of existing science, technology, higher education and innovation capacity building approaches in Turkey are presented and critically reviewed towards transitioning into a knowledge society. Particular emphasis was placed on discussions related to higher education administration, science and technology management and innovation clusters considering the socio-cultural contexts. Based on qualitative research approach and one-on-one interviews with several stakeholders in the human capital development system, specific recommendations to establish a framework for transformation into a sustainable knowledge society are presented.

Education Politics and Policy: Emerging Institutions, Interests, and Ideas

The article reviews the most recent research on K–12 education policy and politics in the United States. I begin by exploring current reform trends and emerging institutional arrangements governing contemporary U.S. school systems in relation to patterns of increasing federal and state involvement in educational policy arenas. I then examine and synthesize studies from four key areas of educational policy research—accountability and teacher evaluation, market‐based reforms, educational research utilization, and local and state capacity building. I conclude with an overview of gaps in the literature and suggestions for future research.

Editorial: Learning design, teacher inquiry into student learning and learning analytics: A call for action

AbstractThis special issue deals with three areas. Learning design is the practice of devising effective learning experiences aimed at achieving defined educational objectives in a given context. Teacher inquiry is an approach to professional development and capacity building in education in which teachers study their own and their peers' practice. Learning analytics use data about learners and their contexts to understand and optimise learning and the environments in which it takes place. Typically, these three—design, inquiry and analytics—are seen as separate areas of practice and research. In this issue, we show that the three can work together to form a virtuous circle. Within this circle, learning analytics offers a powerful set of tools for teacher inquiry, feeding back into improved learning design. Learning design provides a semantic structure for analytics, whereas teacher inquiry defines meaningful questions to analyse.

E-learning as a Veritable Tool for Capacity Building in Adult Education and Open Distance Education in Nigeria

Adult education as a discipline has continued to play its role by providing, equipping and sustaining the needed manpower required by developing societies to improve themselves by making the adult working population functional. It uses open and distance learning as one of its effective tools. These roles can be improved by using e-learning training designs and techniques that have open the learning space and broken the barriers of distance to all through modern technology. This paper examined the concept of e-learning, scope and objectives of adult education, Open and Distance Learning (ODL). But e-learning designs and techniques have not been fully explored due to inadequate availability of electricity and internet facilities with high level of computer non-compliance adults and illiteracy among the adult population. These hurdles can be overcome by providing the appropriate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilities with the formulation of enabling policies and sensitization of the adult population. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2015.v5n1p137

Best practice in maternal–fetal medicine

International Journal of Gynecology & ObstetricsVolume 128, Issue 1 p. 80-82 FIGO committee reports Best practice in maternal–fetal medicine† Correction(s) for this article Corrigendum to “Best practice in maternal–fetal medicine” [Int J Gynecol Obstet 128(2014) 80–82] , Volume 129Issue 1International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics pages: 89-89 First Published online: February 7, 2015 FIGO Working Group on Best Practice in Maternal–Fetal Medicine, FIGO Working Group on Best Practice in Maternal–Fetal Medicine Gian Carlo Di Renzo (Chair)*; Eduardo Fonseca, Brazil; Sonia Hassan, USA; Mark Kurtzer, Russia; Maria Teresa Leis, Mexico; Narendra Malhotra, India; Kypros Nicolaides, UK; Huixa Yang, China (members). Sabaratnam Arulkumaran, UK (FIGO President, ex officio); Pierpaolo Mastroiacovo, Italy (Director, International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects); Moshe Hod, Israel (European Assocaition of Perinatal Medicine); Yves Ville, France (International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology); Luis Cabero, Spain (Chair, FIGO Committee for Capacity Building in Education and Training); Claudia Hanson, UK and Tanzania (FIGO Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health Committee); Joe Leigh Simpson, USA (Vice President, March of Dimes). *Corresponding author: Gian Carlo Di Renzo Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Santa Maria della Misericordia University Hospital, 06132 San Sisto, Perugia, Italy. Tel.: + 39 075 5783829, + 39 075 5783231; fax: + 39 075 5783829. E-mail address: mailto:giancarlo.direnzo@unipg.it.Search for more papers by this author FIGO Working Group on Best Practice in Maternal–Fetal Medicine, FIGO Working Group on Best Practice in Maternal–Fetal Medicine Gian Carlo Di Renzo (Chair)*; Eduardo Fonseca, Brazil; Sonia Hassan, USA; Mark Kurtzer, Russia; Maria Teresa Leis, Mexico; Narendra Malhotra, India; Kypros Nicolaides, UK; Huixa Yang, China (members). Sabaratnam Arulkumaran, UK (FIGO President, ex officio); Pierpaolo Mastroiacovo, Italy (Director, International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects); Moshe Hod, Israel (European Assocaition of Perinatal Medicine); Yves Ville, France (International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology); Luis Cabero, Spain (Chair, FIGO Committee for Capacity Building in Education and Training); Claudia Hanson, UK and Tanzania (FIGO Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health Committee); Joe Leigh Simpson, USA (Vice President, March of Dimes). *Corresponding author: Gian Carlo Di Renzo Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Santa Maria della Misericordia University Hospital, 06132 San Sisto, Perugia, Italy. Tel.: + 39 075 5783829, + 39 075 5783231; fax: + 39 075 5783829. E-mail address: mailto:giancarlo.direnzo@unipg.it.Search for more papers by this author First published: 18 October 2014 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgo.2014.10.011Citations: 60 †Endorsed in July 2014 by the FIGO Executive Board. This advice should not be considered as standards of care or legal standards in clinical practice. Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume128, Issue1January 2015Pages 80-82 RelatedInformation

Scoping the Future of Education in Chemistry

New technologies are bringing open access to knowledge to an ever-expanding fraction of the world’s learners, while research is providing new understanding of how people learn at different ages and stages of their development. These twin forces are reshaping the nature of education in the 21 century and present a profound challenge to those concerned with education in chemistry. Continuing advances in the range of computer applications that can help to explain and illustrate chemistry principles, structures and phenomena; a myriad of internet sites offering course materials on chemistry-related topics; and new mobile phone applications under development promise to provide unrivalled opportunities to access information and visualize chemical structures and experiments in any location and even while on the move. While offering unprecedented opportunities for learners, these developments require comprehensive rethinking of the roles of the chemistry teacher, the classroom, and the laboratory. Nevertheless, one factor remains constant: teachers and learners require support materials to provide them with reliable, up-to-date knowledge, explanations, examples and illustrations. These challenges formed the background to a consultation co-convened in Namur 14-15 January 2014 by CHEMRAWN and the International Organization for Chemical Sciences in Development (IOCD), in which a dozen invited experts from around the world reviewed current developments in education in chemistry and considered some critical future needs and advised IOCD (an IUPAC affiliate) on its potential future role in the field. The meeting was opened by IOCD’s Executive Director, Alain Krief (Emeritus Professor in Organic Chemistry, University of Namur) and Leiv Sydnes (Past President of IUPAC and current chair of CHEMRAWN). It was noted that chemistry was often failing to gain an appropriate level of attention in educational curricula and was being neglected, for example, as a subject in web sciences. It was also felt to be important to see the role of chemistry education beyond the school, encouraging greater public understanding and more informed and balanced treatment of topics in the media. Beyond traditional classroom teaching, chemistry learning needed to be supported through informal approaches and through learning by doing, with the creative aspects of the subject being stressed. Stephen Matlin (Adjunct Professor, Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London; Head of Strategic Development, IOCD) provided an introduction to IOCD; a perspective on global changes that set the scene for the discussions; and IOCD’s ambition for the outcomes of the meeting. Created at UNESCO in 1981 and registered as an NGO in Belgium, IOCD has a record over more than 30 years of supporting chemists in lowand middleincome countries (LMICs) in collaborative programs with high-income countries (HICs). IOCD’s work now focuses in three areas: chemistry for better health; chemistry for a better environment; and capacity building in chemistry education. Reflecting on the value of education in chemistry, Matlin observed that the substantial benefits from the chemical sciences in terms of wealth and health had been very unevenly distributed. Technical progress (a combination of technological advances and their diffusion and uptake in different countries and the capacities of the countries themselves to conduct and apply research) is a crucial factor globally. LMICs cannot do without homegrown capacity for scientific research and technological know-how: increasingly, a nation’s wealth will depend on the knowledge it accrues and how it applies it, rather than the resources it controls. The uneven distribution of general literacy and scientific literacy around the world remains a major challenge and science curricula need to be reinvented to harmonize with changes in the practice of science/ technology, an information age, and the quality of life. In the case of chemistry literacy, challenges include how to make good quality, relevant chemistry education available, accessible and affordable to all; how chemistry education must change, with regard to modes of teaching and learning and with regard to its relevance not only to the latest scientific knowledge and theories, but also to the wider world of work in general and to the need to support and enable social responsibility by all people; and the often neglected Conference Call Reports from recent conferences and symposia See also www.iupac.org/home/conferences.html

Educational Research Capacity Building in the European Union: A Critique of the Lived Experiences of Emerging Researchers

The purpose of this article is to explore the extent to which European Union (EU) policies impact upon the activities of associations such as the European Educational Research Association (EERA) and the experiences of emerging researchers aligned to such associations. In essence, the authors explore potential tensions between policy and the lived experiences of those directly affected by the implementation of policy directives. Lévi-Strauss's conception of ‘mythemes' is employed, in order to elucidate segments of what the authors call policy myths that happen to portray an underlying structural meaning. From this, they use Barthes' exploration of the syntagm and system of contemporary acts of myth-making in order to compare EU policy with the activities of the EERA Emerging Researchers' Group. Their analysis suggests that all researchers, including those new to the field, need to see themselves as self-sovereign actors, each of whom has the potential to contribute to the broader societal challenges that we face.

Building capacity: challenges and opportunities in large class pedagogy (LCP) in Sub-Saharan Africa

Over the past 20 years most countries, particularly developing countries, have seen a large increase in the number of students seeking higher education. A consequence of this growth is increasing pressure on teaching staff and institutions, usually resulting in, among other effects, increased class size. Large classes of between 300 and 1,000, and even more, at the undergraduate level are not uncommon in a number of countries (Mulryan-Kyne in Teach High Educ 15(2):175-185, 2010). Large classes are often per- ceived as one of the major obstacles to the attainment of quality education. Despite the difficulties associated with teaching and learning in large classes, they remain a reality in many countries affecting learners across all levels of the education system and are often the only perceived option available to meet growing demand for higher education in Sub- Saharan Africa (Mohamedbhai in The effects of massification on higher education in Africa. Report from the Working Group on Higher Education of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa, 2008). We contend that the challenges of delivering large classes can be confronted, and in many ways diminished, through the use of current and emerging technologies and enhanced faculty development. In this expository paper, we present findings from project activities focused on higher education faculty development and capacity building. The findings include both formative and summative development activities, as well as data collected in faculty professional development workshops and the results of two surveys. We use these data to lay out issues, challenges (e.g., skills, resources, logistics—including poor campus infrastructure), and opportunities (e.g., mobile capacity, distance tools such as Moodle) of large class pedagogy using a design-based research framework.

Transdisciplinarity and Translation

Contemporary research models are becoming increasingly transdisciplinary (TD), multilevel, community-connected, and bent on expediting the movement of research to impact. This requires not only fresh thinking about the science of social work but an educational architecture that fosters both cross-disciplinary understanding of complex underlying determinants and the ability to translate that knowledge into effective, sustainable action. This article illustrates the need for greater intentionality and coherence in preparing social work practitioners and researchers for participation in this changing landscape. We focus here on doctoral level training, but underscore opportunities for a robust educational “pipeline” linking undergraduate and graduate professional degree preparation to that at the doctoral and postdoctoral levels. We summarize selected literature that defines and operationalizes TD translational research, reflect strategically on social work’s positioning within this scientific “marketplace,” and offer recommendations for capacity building in social work doctoral education.

Behind the starting line: school capacity building in early childhood education

This paper describes the process of school capacity building in Hong Kong's early childhood education at a time when there was a quest for quality education. A local preschool was selected for the study, which took part in a university–school support programme through which consultancy was hired from a university to provide school-based support. An action research approach was chosen in the research design. The process of building capacity was examined in the selected preschool over a year. The findings indicated that the preschool went through a process of capacity building, from the status quo ante, through the exploration stage to the initial implementation stage of change. Restructuring and reculturing were emerging in the change process, with the support of the school consultants.

National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand

During the last few decades, Thailand has seen a significant change in a way astronomical research and education is pursued in the country as the government realized the important roles that basic science plays in shaping up a knowledge-based society. In 2004, a cabinet resolution fulfilled the long-held dreams of the country's leading astronomers by assigning the Ministry of Science and Technology to establish the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT). NARIT has been tasked to strengthen not only research and educational capacity building in astronomy and related fields but also to ensure that a foundation for basic sciences exists for appropriate technology and innovation essential for a scientific astronomy education at all levels, both in formal and informal education.

지연성 근육통 유발 후 냉기 적용 방법이 피부온도의 변화, 냉각 통과 근육 기능에 미치는 효과

본 연구는 급성염증과 비슷한 지연성 근육통이 있을 때 초기 한냉치료를 적용함에 있어 냉기에 의한 냉각통증을 최소화하면서, 근육온도를 낮출 수 있는 방법으로 냉기단독과 냉기와 적외선 조사 병용을 적용하여 피부온도에 미치는 영향을 측정하고, 냉기와 적외선 병용치료의 효율성을 평가함과 동시에 초음파를 통한 근 두께를 바탕으로 등척성 근기능을 평가해보고자 하였다. 본 연구의 결과 냉기와 적외선 병용치료 시 냉기 단독치료보다 냉각통증의 빈도가 낮게 나타났으며, 냉각통증 자각 시점도 늦게 나타났다. 또한 충분한 냉기적용 후 피부온도가 재가온되는데 있어서 냉기를 2회 적용할 때가 1회 적용할 때 보다 더 느려지며, 냉기 단독치료보다 냉기와 적외선 광선 조사 병용치료 시 더 느려짐을 나타내어 2회 이상의 반복적인 냉기 적용이 냉기의 효용이 있다고 나타났다. 또한 상완이두근 두께 변화에 있어서 병용군이 대조군보다 더 크게 나타나 이 효과를 뒷받침하게 되었다. 이러한 연구결과 자료는 향후 급성염증이 있는 환자에게 한냉치료와 관련된 치료적인 자료로써 활용될 수 있을 것이라 생각되고 근골격계 초음파 진단기를 활용하여 통증에 대한 자각도를 간접적으로 표현하는 것이 구체화되어 임상에서 널리 활용될 것으로 보여진다. The purpose of this study was to after induced delayed onset muscle soreness, the purpose of this study is to present the effective way on skin temperature changes and cold pain for 14 subjects during to applied with only Cold-jet stream and Cold-jet stream with infra red. 14 healthy men and women who delayed onset muscle soreness eccentric contractions induced by exercise and then the biceps alone was applied to the Cold-jet stream. We measured the time that skin temperature fall from room temperature to <TEX>$10^{\circ}C$</TEX>(first period), the time rewarmed from <TEX>$10^{\circ}C$</TEX> to <TEX>$20^{\circ}C$</TEX>(second period), the time fall again to <TEX>$10^{\circ}C$</TEX>(third period) and the time rewarmed again to <TEX>$20^{\circ}C$</TEX>(fourth period). Cold-jet stream with infrared combination therapy was performed with the same method. Results of this study were 1st and 2nd experimental cooling experiments in the to fall to <TEX>$10^{\circ}C$</TEX> Cold-jet stream with infrared combination therapy than in the Cold-jet stream was longer(p<.05). At second period, It took longer in Cold-jet stream with infrared rewarmed than Cold-jet stream to rewarm skin(p<.05). Cold-jet stream with infrared combination therapy than Cold-jet stream had less incidence of cold pain(p<.05). Thickness of biceps brachii were found significant difference related measurment each group was consistent. In this study, Cold-jet stream with infrared combination therapy more effective than Cold-jet stream in reduced cold pain and lowering skin temperature. This work was supported by education capacity building project fund of Taegu Science University, 2012.

Seeking conditions of possibility: (re)conceptualising democratic discursive practices in a rights-based approach to adult education

This paper draws on ethnographic vignettes in an Indian rights-based approach to adult education programmes in order to examine the contestations and negotiations of facilitators in interface situations involving programme capacity building, monitoring and evaluation practice. The paper proposes that making visible the hegemonic nature of relationships between different adult education actors is critical to engendering democratic participation in adult education. It explores conditions of possibility for democratic participation in adult education in terms of (1) conceptualising empowerment as self-representation and autonomy; and (2) interrogating one’s identity through self-deconstruction as an ethical responsibility and commitment to equity and social justice. This analysis has implications for informing and enhancing democratic participation in adult education capacity building, monitoring and evaluation processes.

Empowering Disaster-Affected Communities for Long-Term Reconstruction: Intervening in Sri Lanka After the Tsunami

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami highlighted the importance of interdependencies between nations, delivery of humanitarian aid in an empowering manner, and long-term reconstruction. I examine relationships between overseas actors and local residents in tsunami-affected villages in Sri Lanka in a project initiated by the International Association of Schools of Social Work through its Rebuilding People's Lives After Disasters Network and another based on an institutional endeavour supported by Durham University because these sought to empower local communities through local, egalitarian partnerships. Lacking sufficient educational resources, capacity building in social work education has become a long-term objective.

Elicitive Capacity as a Critical Component for an Infrastructure for Peace

An important component of Peacebuilding processes are constructive relationships between external intervening actors and individuals and communities who have experience of the complexities involved by violent conflict and transition from war to peace. The article defines “elicitive capacity” as the ability of external (and internal) actors to foster agency within the existing potential for peace in a given society; and at the same time to build effective linkages and partnerships with actors already present in the society.Elicitive capacity entails an ability to listen to relevant stakeholders in the area; institutional flexibility; an orientation towards empowerment and recognition. Elicitive capacity can occur within different levels society and types of interaction, and can assume different forms: e.g. as transformative dialogue facilitation, based on processual empowerment and recognition; in the form of experiential education, individual and collective capacity building; as the “opening of space” for collective action.