Learning Agenda Research Articles

Beyond the Usual Players: Evidence-Building Priorities for Behavioral Health Among all U.S. Federal Agencies.

There are great and growing behavioral needs in the United States. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) already invests in many lines of research and services to address those needs. But there are opportunities for other federal agencies to provide investments as well. All federal agencies are now required to develop evidence-building plans, called Learning Agendas, per the Evidence-Based Policy Making Act. This commentary reviews the content of 2022-2026 Learning Agendas for priorities related to behavioral health across all U.S. federal agencies besides HHS. Across 4 other federal agencies and 2 cross-government plans, there are Learning Agenda priorities related to behavioral health. These priorities cover examining ways to expand access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment to veterans, Medicaid beneficiaries, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex individuals; and improving the social and emotional well-being of school children, veterans with disabilities, and veterans with military sexual trauma. Some important developing areas were not mentioned in any of the Learning Agendas, which are worth considering. These areas include new digital technologies and artificial intelligence for behavioral health, psychotropic agents, and the strong link between physical and mental health. To meet the behavioral health needs of the country, there are opportunities for inter-agency collaboration at the federal level to build evidence and incorporate new, important developments in behavioral health.

RISING Strong: Sustainability through Art, Science, and Collective Community Action

The objective of this research is to offer a qualitative analysis of adult STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics) learning in a community setting, with a focus on sustainability and climate action. To date, much research on STEAM learning has been directed towards youth and children in formal educational settings. Our qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews with community participants, artists, and scientists over the course of a six-month initiative in Ireland allowed us to develop a rich picture of a multi-faceted STEAM project that held space for both a social change agenda and a learning agenda. In our findings, we identified several contributing factors to transformative learning and changed feelings about climate change, including pride of place, the development of strong interpersonal relationships, and an emerging sense of collective agency through a shared emotional and affective journey. To design for meaningful, community-level climate action, we argue that learning may be supported in, with and through STEAM. Our study also showcases the value of the arts and aesthetic experiences to embrace dissensus when tackling a complex issue like climate change through STEAM education.

Parents as learning facilitators

This paper examines the implications of various learning-centred initiatives for the relationship between early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions and families in Denmark. Since the 1990s, promoting early learning has been a key objective for Danish ECEC institutions, reshaping the Danish social pedagogy tradition. Recently, early learning initiatives have become part of the collaboration with parents on so-called home learning. Based on ethnographic studies of such collaboration, I argue that the expansion of dominant early learning agendas from ECEC to families results in an institutionalisation of parenthood. The analysis shows that parents are expected to embrace a learning agenda promoted by ECEC professionals. They are appointed as learning facilitators who must strive to support early learning at home and improve their parenting skills. Furthermore, parents’ engagement in early learning is intertwined with the practical organisation of family life and with ideals of a good family and a good childhood.

Towards a transformative lifelong learning agenda for non-traditional students at university

Liberalisation of higher education in Uganda meant opening its provision to the private sector, and also running a public-private mix model at public institutions. Consequently, the composition and needs of the student population at universities have changed due to flexibility in provision of study programmes and access routes. Students who had previously been excluded are also joining in increasing numbers. This article uses the feminist frameworks to equality and difference, discourses of integration and exclusion, and the concepts of Othering and Other to unpack equality of access, equity and inclusivity spaces of these new types of students. The aim is to contribute towards a learning agenda that promotes quality and sustainable educational development for all. We draw our findings from the voices of non-traditional students at a public university in Uganda. We validate these with voices of other germane actors to understand better the institutional policy and practice environments available to them. The equal opportunity provision has widened access for NTS but their equity and inclusivity spaces remain inadequately filled. To achieve sustainable inclusive and equitable quality higher education, we suggest a policy, practice and provision environment that promotes a transformative lifelong learning agenda.

O.5.3-7 Evaluation of implementation strategies promoting Interprofessional Collaboration Practices among social and health professionals involved in fall prevention in the community

Abstract Purpose Fall prevention practices (FPPs), including exercised-based programs, are effective in reducing fall rates among community-dwelling older adults, but they are not implemented enough to reach their full potential. Given the multifactorial nature of falls, these FPPs should have an integrated approach where multiple social and health professionals achieve good Interprofessional Collaboration Practices (ICP). The aim of the current study is to evaluate implementation strategies promoting ICP among professionals involved in fall prevention. Methods We performed longitudinal process evaluations with a mixed-methods approach including document study, dynamic learning agenda (DLA), and a social network analysis (SNA) survey in four communities in the region of Utrecht, the Netherlands. Professionals involved in fall prevention participated in regular meetings and responded to SNA surveys. This survey was distributed at baseline, after six, 12 and 18 months, which measured, among other things, the number of links between professionals. Evaluation whether the implementation strategies, such as training, providing a social care map and establishing referral pathways, improved ICP were guided by The Conceptual Framework ICP. Results Data collection is ongoing and results will be updated. Until now, the SNA shows that in all communities physical therapists and primary care and community nurses play a central role, and that over time more professionals were included in the network. The DLA showed that changes in barriers for ICP differed per community; in one community time and budget remained main barriers, while in another community barriers were successfully transformed in facilitators. For example, initially professionals did not know each other well, but after using the implementation strategies they understood each other's role better, which highly facilitates efficient ICP. Conclusions The effect of implementation strategies are dependent on local contexts. Furthermore, continuous evaluations, such as insight in present barriers and facilitators, and reflections are necessary to select the implementation strategies that fit best to the current context. These findings will help professionals involved in fall prevention to implement and upscale FPPs in the community. Support/Funding Source This research is co-financed by Regieorgaan SIA, part of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) (project number RAAK.PRO03.099).

Learning in and about a filtered universe: young people’s awareness and control of algorithms in social media

ABSTRACT Whereas ‘Web 2.0 technology’ has pushed the learning agenda towards connectivity and boundary crossing, in the current ‘new new media ontology’ the fear that algorithms might block our avenues to knowledge and connections prevails. In response to this, media scholars have argued that knowledge based on the algorithmic experiences of users is key to reformulating the agenda of critical media education. In this study of the algorithmic experiences of secondary education students in the Netherlands, we want to contribute to building such knowledge, making use of the concepts of algorithmic imagination, power and critical evaluation. Results show students build situational, practical-experiential knowledge of algorithmic workings that is closely in line with the features of the interface of the social media platforms they use. Implications for media literacy include providing students with system-level awareness and agency, including insights into the societal-political consequences of algorithmic workings.

Global vs local careers taxonomy for graduate employability: Through the lens of students’ typology and destination

Career studies literature suggests that careers become more boundaryless and more global. Students, the agents of the choice of career, are not a homogeneous cohort anymore. We add to the discussion the students’ typology proposition for the career choice to further develop the graduate employability discourse. We make the first attempt to develop a student global vs local career taxonomy to contribute into understanding of graduate employability and career decision making. Our contribution offers a two-dimensional taxonomy, with one dimension being a type of student and another dimension being a career destination. The conceptual taxonomy is empirically tested with data from more than 400 business and economics students. We show that a global career choice would prevail above a local career choice for each of the student types. Our findings contribute into deeper understanding of career decision making and broadens our comprehension of the variety of global vs local careers for graduate employability. The study develops the future research agenda for career development researchers and multinational corporations’ (MNC) practitioners and practical agenda for teaching and learning in universities.

Defining Collective Priorities: Research and Learning Agendas for Family Planning Across 6 Countries.

Evidence should be the foundation for a well-designed family planning (FP) program, but existing evidence is rarely aligned with and/or synthesized to speak directly to FP programmatic needs. Based on our experience cocreating FP research and learning agendas (FP RLAs) in Côte d'Ivoire, Malawi, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, and Uganda, we argue that FP RLAs can drive the production of coordinated research that aligns with national priorities.To cocreate FP RLAs, stakeholders across 6 countries conducted desk reviews of 349 documents and 106 key informant interviews, organized consultation meetings in each country to prioritize evidence gaps and generate research and learning questions, and, ultimately, formed 6 FP RLAs comprising 190 unique questions. We outline the process for consensus-driven development of FP RLAs and communicate the results of an analysis of the questions in each FP RLA across 4 technical areas: self-care, equity, high impact practices, and youth. Each question was categorized as a learning versus research question, the former indicating an opportunity to synthesize existing evidence and the latter to conduct new research to answer the question. Themes emerging from the data shed light on shared evidence gaps across the 6 countries. We argue that similarities and differences in the questions in each FP RLA reflect the unique implementation experience and context, as well as each country's placement on the FP S-curve. Early uses of the FP RLAs include informing the development of FP costed implementation plans and FP2030 commitments. FP RLAs have also been discussed in multiple thematic working groups. For FP stakeholders, these FP RLAs represent a consensus-based agenda that can guide the generation and synthesis of evidence to answer each country's most pressing questions, ultimately driving progress toward increasingly evidence-based programming and policy.

Interpreting the mental health and wellbeing agenda in adult community learning

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to engage critically with debates surrounding the mental health and wellbeing agenda for adult community learning (ACL), with particular consideration of creative arts provision. It draws on a qualitative research project involving five creative arts ACL groups in the English West Midlands and two mental health participatory arts organisations based in London. Of the ACL groups, one was targeted for mental health recovery, two were targeted for wellbeing, and two were mainstream. Fieldwork involved participant observation, interviews and group discussions with attendees, and interviews with volunteers, ACL and art therapy practitioners, ACL project organisers, and managers working in the organisations taking part in the research and other adult learning settings. The article outlines key critical debates. It then interrogates three related themes, drawing on a range of evidence from the study: (1.) the discourse of confidence and self-esteem; (2.) interactions between educational and mental health and wellbeing-related goals and outcomes; and (3) the role of creative arts subjects in the mental health and wellbeing agenda for ACL. Implications for policy and practice are set out in conclusion, including consideration of ACL curricula and pedagogical approaches in the area of mental health and wellbeing.

Assessing the Capacity of Public and School Libraries toward the Attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 4

The objective of this study is to investigate the capacity of public and school libraries towards the achievement of SDG4. Using data collected from school and public library staff, head teachers and education officers in Zanzibar, the study examined the level of awareness of SDG4 among library staff, library human and physical resources capacity and the effectiveness of library programs in promoting lifelong learning. The study used a cross-sectional design, whereas a mixed approach through a convergence method was used to collect, analyze and interpret data. A non-probability sampling under purposive sampling techniques was applied to select respondents for this study. Primary data was collected through a survey method using a structured standardized questionnaire, face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions. A total of 100 library staff filled out questionnaires. Interviews were conducted with 42 respondents while 18 were involved in focus group discussions. The study revealed that public and school libraries provided common traditional services like book circulation and reference services, but their contribution did not correlate with the efforts needed to promote lifelong learning in the modern era. The libraries were faced with several challenges including inadequate budget and a lack of policy and strategies for the implementation of lifelong learning targets. The study recommends that the education authorities should address and prioritize the agenda of lifelong learning by improving the capacity of public and school libraries, while a national-wide library campaign toward the promotion of lifelong learning should be introduced with the involvement of public and school libraries.

Setting the new European agenda for adult learning 2021-2030

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, international organisations and governments have issued mitigation policies, and (re)oriented broader policy strategies to respond to new problematisations about the future. In this context, the education ministers of the European Union (EU) adopted a Council Resolution on a new European agenda for adult learning 2021-2030. Drawing on the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF), this paper examines the political mobilisation and agenda setting behind this Resolution through network ethnography and the analysis of belief systems. The findings point at an increased social dialogue, favoured by an ‘uncommon’ way – as by our informants – through which the Slovenian Ministry of Education pursued the agreed priority at EU level, while holding the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU. While visibility of adult learning rose under COVID-19, advocacy coalitions formed at national (Slovenian) and European level facilitated stronger alignment in agenda setting among different actors towards a holistic approach that calls for inter-sectorial and multi-stakeholder collaboration.

Responding to the Lifelong Learning Targets: collaborative Efforts of Public and School Libraries

This study aims to examine the collaborative efforts of public and school libraries to implement lifelong learning targets. Using data collected from school and public library staff, head teachers and education officers in Zanzibar, this study seeks to obtain opinions regarding public library support provided to school libraries, types of collaborative programs that public and school libraries engaged in to attain lifelong learning targets, and the effectiveness of library joint programs in promoting lifelong learning opportunities. The study used a cross-sectional design, whereas a mixed approach through the convergence method was used to collect, analyze and interpret data. A non-probability sampling under purposive sampling techniques was applied to select respondents for this study. Primary data was collected through a survey method using a structured standardized questionnaire, face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions. A total of 36 public library staff and 94 school library staff filled out questionnaires. Interviews were conducted with 42 respondents while 18 respondents were involved in focus group discussions. Findings revealed the existence of collaborative efforts between public libraries and school libraries. However, there were neither collaborative plans nor assessment and evaluation strategies, thus, the program’s implementation did not guarantee the effective promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for all. The study recommends that the education authorities should address and prioritize the agenda of lifelong learning by introducing a national-wide library collaboration campaign toward the implementation of SDG 4 targets along with the improvement of public and school libraries’ capacity in terms of staff and resources.

Transforming Educational Development Centres into Quality Education Centres

Educational Development (ED) also known as Academic Development (AD), Faculty Professional Development (FPD) and Faculty Development (FD)originated out of various context-based needs (student support, academic training, teaching, and learning success) in the different regions of the world. Educational Development (ED) remained outside the mainstream academic life of higher education institutions (HEI) for decades as appendages to learning and teaching transformation agendas. Four decades later, international higher education institutions require radical transformation of the former ED, AD, FPD and FD centres and initiatives to meet the needs of a new era, the ‘age of quality education’ in pursuit of research driven, discipline-integrated quality education approaches at Faculty, School, and College level. The paper presents a critical reflective review of educational development centres /models and highlights the shifting glocal (local and global) needs in HEIs for a comprehensive and integrated learning, teaching, and research approach to quality education. The author proposes that HEIs consider transforming existing centralized hybrid models of ED into discipline-integrated Quality Education Centres (QECs). The hybrid models may include several innovative approaches to institutional quality assurance processes drawn from the Australian Peer Review Portal initiative, the World Bank self-assurance training and development process in Bangladesh higher education, and the “subjects at risk” identification and review process at an Australian -Malaysian transnational university which implemented the PASS program to enhance student success. Discussion concludes with recommendations to establish discipline integrated QECs within institutions that embrace a sustainable, equitable, diverse, and inclusive quality education paradigm.

Autonomous and sustainable machine learning: pursuing new horizons of intelligent systems

The paradigm of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning has resulted in an amazingly diverse plethora of models operating in various environments and quite often exhibiting numerous successes. There is a growing spectrum of challenging application areas of high criticality where one has to meet a number of fundamental requirements. Those manifest evidently when Machine Learning constructs have to function autonomously and any decisions being rendered entail far reaching implications. The carefully crafted learning process has to result with advanced models. Along with the developed models, they have to come hand-in-hand with credibility measures that are crucial to assess an extent to which the results generated by such measures are meaningful, trustworthy and credible. The credibility of the Machine Learning models becomes of paramount importance given the nature of application domains. Autonomous systems including autonomous vehicles, user identification (both using audio and video channels), financial systems (calling for sound mechanisms to quantify risk levels) require the ML system making classification or prediction decisions some level of self-awareness. Among others, this translates to forming sound answers to the following crucial questions emerging within the design process: How much confidence could be associated with the result? Could any action /decision be taken on a basis of obtained result? Given the reported level of credibility, is there any other experimental evidence one could acquire to validate the decision? In this study, we advocate that a general way to achieve such goals is to engage the mechanism of Granular Computing; subsequently, the granularity endowing the results are sought as a vehicle use to quantify the credibility level. Sustainable (or green) Machine Learning gives rise to the agenda of knowledge reuse, namely exploring possibilities of potential reuse of the already designed models in a spectrum of current environments where computing overhead as one of the ways to contribute to the agenda of sustainable Machine Learning and discuss a crucial role of information granularity in this context.

Implementacija Evropske agende za učenje odraslih u Portugaliji i Sloveniji

In this paper, we analyse the implementation of the Council Resolution on a renewed European agenda for adult learning (hereafter 2011 Agenda) in the period 2012-2020 in two European Union (EU) member states: Portugal and Slovenia. Theoretically, our discussion draws on studies researching European governance in adult learning. At the same time, empirically we perform a comparative analysis between the two countries and discuss similarities and differences in terms of adult learning (AL) policy ideas, activities of national coordinators for the implementation of the 2011 Agenda, and AL related European Social Funds projects. Our findings indicate that the normative vision of 2011 Agenda is well embedded in both countries' policies, that national coordinators undertook various activities to implement 2011 Agenda, and that EU funds play a key role in funding and directing both countries' AL systems.

Civic Education in a Time of Democratic Crisis

This volume features frontiers of scholarship in the political, social, and behavioral sciences that are advancing civic education. The volume begins with an analysis of recent efforts to create a shared agenda for civic learning against a backdrop of politicization in education. Additional articles provide theoretical and empirical support for the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for students to become engaged civic actors and problem solvers; other contributions offer illustrations of civic learning in action. A cross-cutting theme is the role that cultural contexts and environments play in helping to ensure meaningful student learning in the United States’ multiethnic democracy. The volume concludes with recommendations for research, policy, and practice that can further advance a type of civic education that invigorates and preserves our democratic traditions and prepares students to address the political, socioeconomic, and ecological challenges that loom ever larger on the horizon.

Research and Development Agenda for Learning from Incidents

Research and Development Agenda for Learning from Incidents

Identifying and prioritizing evidence needs in self-care interventions for sexual and reproductive health.

Self-care as an extension of health care systems can increase access to care. The development of programs and generation of evidence to support self-care in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is a relatively nascent field. We undertook a study to identify and prioritize evidence gaps for SRH self-care. We used the CHNRI methodology and administered two online surveys to stakeholders affiliated with major self-care networks. The first survey was used to identify evidence gaps, and the second to prioritize them using predetermined criteria. We received 51 responses to the first survey and 36 responses to the second. Many evidence gaps focused on awareness of and demand for self-care options and best mechanisms for supporting users of self-care with information, counseling and linkages to care. A priority area of work ahead should be determining which aspects of the learning agenda reflect gaps in evidence and which reflect a need to effectively synthesize and disseminate existing evidence.

Effectiveness of a recovery workshop implemented in community mental health services in Catalonia (Spain): study protocol for a non-randomized controlled trial

BackgroundMany countries today are undergoing a paradigm shift in mental health policies towards a recovery-oriented and rights-based approach. From this perspective, self-determination and self-management are fundamental factors for recovery. Despite this shift, there is still a lack of evidence on the effectiveness of training programmes aimed at promoting self-determination and self-management in recovery processes implemented in southern European or Spanish-speaking countries. The aim of this paper is to present a study protocol that evaluates the effectiveness of a 12-session recovery workshop implemented in community mental health services in Catalonia (Spain).Methods/designThis is a 12-week follow-up multi-centre non-randomized controlled trial design. At least 160 users will be recruited from 13 Community Rehabilitation Services (CRS) in Catalonia. Eligible participants are adult (≥ 18 years old) users of a CRS, who sign a written consent to participate. The experimental group participates in a recovery workshop, in which people learn to develop and implement their own plan of personal recovery, which includes a Wellness Toolbox, a Maintenance Toolkit, a Personal Growth Plan, a Mirror of Relapses, a Crisis Plan, and a Learning Agenda. The control group participates in the usual activities of the CRS. Data is collected using a questionnaire of sociodemographic characteristics, personal recovery, empowerment, hope and perceived social support. The users’ measurements are taken at the baseline and one week after the end of the workshop. The primary outcome measures include the Self-Identified Stage of Recovery and the Maryland Assessment of Recovery in Serious Mental Illness Scale (short version). The secondary outcome measures include the Netherlands Empowerment List, Dispositional Hope Scale, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Descriptive statistics for characterizing the sample size will be performed. Multivariate analyses for repeated measures designs will be used to evaluate the primary and secondary outcomes. Between-group and within-subject comparisons will be conducted.DiscussionThe results of the study will provide information on the usefulness of recovery workshops in a Mediterranean cultural context. Additionally, if this workshop is effective, it will be proposed for inclusion within the portfolio of community mental health services in Catalonia.Trial RegistrationISRCTN11695542 (Registration date: 5 July 2022).

In the eye of the media: A provost's perspective

AbstractThis chapter presents the perspective of a provost on public intellectuals in higher education. It provides practical guidance through a series of questions faculty members might ask themselves about their role and approach to public intellectualism, including how to translate academic scholarship into a legible message for the general public and establishing discernment process for accepting an interview, speaking engagement, or writing assignments. It also describes effective practices that can shape a public scholarship agenda and considers the implications for academic scholars who choose to enter the realm of thought leadership and public life, and the implications and repercussions of navigating public discourse in the context of a fragmented American evangelicalism.