Adult Continuing and Professional Education

Self-assessment is an integral component of learning and developing decision making and critical thinking skills in the practice of dental hygiene. Dental hygienists must think critically and develop problem-solving strategies during their formal education to ensure lifelong quality and ongoing development of their personal knowledge and skill as related to providing comprehensive, evidence-based patient care. The primary focus of this qualitative investigation was to obtain undergraduate dental hygiene students' perceptions of and experiences with self-assessment. The sample consisted of an intact undergraduate dental hygiene class of seventeen students in their final semester of a two-year, entry-level dental hygiene program at a community college in the southeast United States. Data for this research were obtained from three sources: 1) a program-designed self-assessment survey assignment, 2) in-depth interviews with four second-year dental hygiene students, and 3) program-de...

The Single Payment Authority (SPA) is a Public Organization that complies with the most
modern management systems, seeking the maximum utilization of human resources and
a high degree of effectiveness and efficiency in Greece and Europe. The present study
attempts to investigate the training needs, attitudes, and views of the staff of the SPA in
the context of reform actions and modernization of the Public Administration. The
necessity of the study is considered important so that the personnel managed by SPA are
able to face the challenges and respond to crisis conditions. The aim of the study is to
highlight the benefits civil servants gain by attending training programs, identify the
barriers hindering their participation in the training programs offered and define new
subjects for training programs that will cover the modern needs of SPA employees. The
sources of investigation for the systematic collection of information and data analysis
were based on the method of triangulation with literature review, interviews and
questionnaires ensuring validity and activating the meritocratic judgment. From the
research results, it becomes clear that the training in the public sector needs to improve
in terms of subject areas, methodology, as well as adult educational methods and
techniques in order to satisfy the constantly changing needs of the services. Needs
analysis must be included as a vital step of any educational program design in order to
meet the needs of SPA employees today, thus upgrading the services and facilitating its
development

Regulatory frameworks around the world mandate that health and social care professional education programs graduate practitioners who have the competence and capability to practice effectively in interprofessional collaborative teams. Academic institutions are responding by offering interprofessional education (IPE); however, there is as yet no consensus regarding optimal strategies for the assessment of interprofessional learning (IPL). The Program Committee for the 17th Ottawa Conference in Perth, Australia in March, 2016, invited IPE champions to debate and discuss the current status of the assessment of IPL. A draft statement from this workshop was further discussed at the global All Together Better Health VIII conference in Oxford, UK in September, 2016. The outcomes of these deliberations and a final round of electronic consultation informed the work of a core group of international IPE leaders to develop this document. The consensus statement we present here is the result of ...

Abstract. The project reported in this paper models a new approach to making health informatics and ehealth education widely available to students in a range of Australian clinical health profession degrees. The development of a Masters level subject uses design-based research to apply educational quality assurance practices which are consistent with university qualification frameworks, and with clinical health profession education standards; at the same time it gives recognition to health informatics as a specialised profession in its own right. The paper presents details of (a) design with reference to the Australian Qualifications Framework and CHIA competencies, (b) peer review within a three-university teaching team, (c) external review by experts from the professions, (d) cross-institutional interprofessional online learning, (e) methods for evaluating student learning experiences and outcomes, and (f) mechanisms for making the curriculum openly available to interested parties...

The following article considers the missions of public Black colleges and universities, asking whether or not these missions are focused on liberal arts or professional education, or perhaps a hybrid of these foci. More importantly, we will explore the long term impact of these institutional missions on African Americans. Our discussion and examination will be contextualized using historic arguments put forth by African American leaders Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois. These arguments, although often simplified, are highly complex and can offer insight into the purpose of education at public Black colleges and universities in the current day.

Научно-практическое пособие для подготовки и повышения квалификации в сфере обучения и развития, корпоративного образования, развития руководящих кадров.

Книга написана на основе исследований, обобщает современный опыт обучения и развития в российских и международных компаниях, включая организации — лидеры своих отраслей.
Автор — известный исследователь и одновременно практик в области обучения и развития в организациях.

This book is designed as an easy-to-read text on basic corporate L&D formats. It  introduces both students current L&D experts, and managers to using training, learning by doing, mentoring, and coaching.
Alphabet-based entries make reading fluent and easy.

"This book provides an up-to-date and critical analysis of contemporary issues and debates in the lifelong learning sector (LLS).

The themes are presented in an accessible format, and are underpinned by recent research as well as policy analysis. The authors examine significant issues in the LLS today including inclusive practice, the employability agenda, the curriculum in the LLS and research-led teaching.

There are practical strategies and reflective tasks that encourage readers to become critical, questioning practitioners. Other helpful features include:
Learning outcomes at the beginning of each chapter
Links to QTLS standards
Case studies
End of chapter summaries
Further reading and useful websites
It is essential reading for trainees on QTLS programmes and is also important reading for education students and qualified staff undertaking CPD.


About the authors

Dr Vicky Duckworth (Edge Hil University)
Dr  Jonathan Tummons (Teeside University)

Table of contents

Introduction
The changing face of the lifelong learning sector
Widening participation and inclusive practice
Policy and practice in the lifelong learning sector
Embedding literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology
The employability agenda
Exploring the curriculum in the lifelong learning sector
Research-led teaching in the lifelong learning sector
Working in the lifelong learning sector
Further reading





"

Recent years have witnessed considerable growth of research on the benefits of adult learning. Much of this draws on evidence from large scale longitudinal data sets. Overwhelmingly, these studies have found clear evidence of economic, social and individual benefits as a result of participating in adult learning. While these claims are important and influential ones, there has to date been little discussion of the nature of the data and analytical techniques being used. The paper explores the limitations of longitudinal research, but concludes that this body of work still represents an important new departure in the field.

"In little over a decade the observation of teaching and learning (OTL) has become the cornerstone of Further Education (FE) colleges’ quality systems for assuring and improving the professional skills and knowledge base of tutors. Yet OTL remains an under-researched area of inquiry with little known about the impact of its use on the professional identity, learning and development of FE tutors. This paper examines the specific practice of graded OTL and in so doing discusses findings from a mixed-methods study conducted in ten colleges situated across the West Midlands region of England. Data from a questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews were analysed within a theoretical framework that drew largely on aspects of Foucauldian theory as well as the twin phenomena of new managerialism and performativity. This analysis revealed how OTL has become normalised as a performative tool of managerialist systems designed to assure and improve standards, performance and accountability in teaching and learning. It is argued that FE has now outgrown graded OTL and it is time for a moratorium on its use. Colleges and tutors need to be given greater professional autonomy with OTL and be allowed to develop their own systems that place professional learning and development at the forefront rather than the requirements of performance management systems.

Keywords: lesson observation, observation of teaching and learning (OTL), normalisation, surveillance"

Purpose: The aim of this tutorial is to support speech-language pathologists (SLPs) undertaking assessments of multilingual children with suspected speech sound disorders, particularly children who speak languages that are not shared with their SLP. Method: The tutorial was written by the International Expert Panel on Multilingual Children’s Speech, which comprises 46 researchers (SLPs, linguists, phoneticians, and speech scientists) who have worked in 43 countries and used 27 languages in professional practice. Seventeen panel members met for a 1-day workshop to identify key points for inclusion in the tutorial, 26 panel members contributed to writing this tutorial, and 34 members contributed to revising this tutorial online (some members contributed to more than 1 task). Results: This tutorial draws on international research evidence and professional expertise to provide a comprehensive overview of working with multilingual children with suspected speech sound disorders. This over...

Al zijn er goede voorbeelden, de integratie van onderzoek in het hoger beroepsonderwijs blijkt veel minder eenvoudig dan aanvankelijk gedacht. 'Onderzoek blijft in veel opleidingen ernaast, erbij, of erop geplaatst', schrijft Didi Griffioen. Dat moet veranderen.

Palmer’s (2007) The Courage to Teach can be seen as the outcome of a social cognitivistic desire to serve as a mentor (e.g. providing a model and guide for new behaviors within the role of teacher), or the result of a constructivistic exercise (making meaning through experience and self-reflective practice). However, it was deciding Palmer’s book shares humanist roots with Art of Loving (Fromm, 1956) and The Art of Being (Fromm, 1992) that helped me get past certain aspects of style that irritated me - hyperbole and repetition – and that acted as barriers to forming a more objective point of view. Arriving at this conclusion opened me up to a place where I could start exploring my learning needs and the corresponding catalysts in this book:  self-reflections about identity, integrity, reflection, paradox and objectivity, as well as how I see myself as an adult educator.

Preamble At the Nautical Institute, Hong Kong SAR Branch meeting recently, Seaworthiness and the Human Element was the theme that prompted " Crews Control " , a talk presented by Ron Clark, Admiralty Manager of Reed Smith Richards Butler. He spoke about competence and negligence. He cited an incident when a fire on board a car carrier had led to a total loss of the ship and cargo. He further stated that these could have been avoided if the fire had been contained by the crew, had they been properly instructed and trained (Seaways May 2017). This reference addresses the immediate state of maritime education and training, MET in our industry. Current modus in most countries train officers and crew in a shore establishment where shipboard work environment attempts to be suitably or sufficiently replicated. This deficiency can cause a lack of awareness of any shipborne incident as the various hazards and subsequent risk management and prevention of incidents cannot be fully replicated or contextualised. However, instruction and training must be meted out to seafarers as closely as possible. Although intentions are good, methodology and delivery of the training and instruction remains archaic, instructor-centred pedagogy. You will often hear from " instructors " the rhetoric " I teach them test /examine them, then send them back to work ". Usually the " instructor " follows a syllabus and adheres to the instructions in the syllabus. Voila, " job well done " ! Hardly! No sir, not all! In this short article, I hope to challenge MET trainers to go beyond this premise. Are you facilitating training to competency based standards? In recent times, I have had the opportunity to facilitate training for Master and Chief Mate candidates for vessels over 500GT. The young officers expressed difficulty in obtaining the required sea-time as well as the lack of development and training on the ships they serve on. After all, isn't sea time where you gain development by experiential learning and praxis? Despite all the hype from industry about mentoring and on the job learning, it does not appear to be so in the companies these young men served on. There were 35 very intelligent candidates from 7 economies across the world. They had cultural diversity with different learning styles. All learning sessions were conducted in English, resulting with proficiency in Literacy and English language becoming very challenging to most. More than half were from non-English speaking backgrounds, NESB. They served on various ships from offshore support vessels to freighters, tankers, bulkers and so on in international and coastal voyages. It is very surprising how little importance is attached to English language knowledge and skills. Being a proponent for Literacy, language and numeracy, LLN training for industry and education, I suspect these issues are also apparent in teaching and administration staff, several of whom are also non-native English speakers. This short article touches on work-based learning, WBL and the application of competency based education, training and assessment, CBETA on-site (shipborne) and off-site (campus). Some attention to LLN and pluriliteracy during training is also mentioned. Takeaways-keywords Collaborative learning, work-based learning, cultural diversity in English language and literacy, pluriliteracy, competency based education, training and assessment, performance standards and criteria, group dynamics, learning styles, teaching styles, facilitator of learning. The Australian Qualifications Framework – AQF Maritime Education and Training (MET) is supported in vocational education by nature of the fact that maritime qualifications are achieved via competency based education, training, learning and

The article is a manager's guide to radical change programmes and explains why change is often so difficult to manage successfully. Based on practical experience and supported by relevant theory, it provides a definition of types of change projects and a conceptual framework for managing change before discussing in some detail the barriers to change. The article pays particular attention to the politics and emotions surrounding change. It also provides a discussion of the various ways of resourcing change projects.

The number of the students who are studying at the universities has markedly increases while million students have been taking online courses.The interaction of the data has rapidly improved due to the Internet ecosystems:therefore,big data mining and management play important and crucial role in the sustainable growth, success, and quality assurance of the universities.By measuring the students’ achievement, knowing the credits and courses taken by the students, assessing the professors’ success and qualifications,and analyzing the attendance lists, the ability to empower and improve the quality of the higher education has significantly become possible and strategic.By knowing the expenses,by studying the investments on research, education, and administration, the strategic planning and the effective and efficient allocation of the financial power can be much better than ever before.The confluence of higher education institutions, mainly those in the best ranking lists, and big data management represents an extraordinary change and transformation in the innovative ecosystem in which students, academics, admins, and entire university network would benefit because of the systematic and strategic revolution.The impacts of big data mining and management on higher education institutions’ sustainable funding, financing, planning, success, research and development,and innovation were critically studied. By studying the perceptions and the experiences of the managers (23), the experienced academics (32) who were responsible about the data mining and management at two state and two private universities, why the higher education institution need critically, crucially, and strategically the big data mining and management is answered.The phenomenological analysis was preferred in this study, in which twenty-eight research questions were answered through the semi-structured interactive interviews.The collected data of this study, which were analyzed in data analysis software-program NVivo 10, showed clearly that a few number of the participants (28%), who were active in planning, funding, investing, and performing according to the big data mining results, had significantly much better results in using their financial investments. However,those (78%), who could not be so successful in using big data mining and management, lose their vision and long-term strategy in making good investments.As the participants (45%) had declared that the best big data management reports had opened new dimension for the administration in developing better classes in which better professors were chosen at the right time and at the right places where the students’ achievements and happiness had markedly improved. In conclusion, the effective and efficient structure had been analyzed in order to improve the efficiency of the students, as well as the faculty and the administrations.According to the participants (76%), since the big data mining and management had clearly and crucially showed the drawbacks and benefits, the higher education administration had significantly found more opportunities to make right investments and improvements. In this way, they could invest in the right research and development projects, which accelerate both their sustainable growth, success, and reputation.However, those, who could not control and give feedbacks by means of big data mining and management, did not have good results and consequences as the other higher institutions had done.

Artikkel 1 – Hva slags vitenskapelighet? (9465 ord uten litteraturliste) 1 Teori, empiri, praksis m.fl. – gamle og nye begreper Olav Eikeland Formålet med denne teksten er kort å redegjøre begrepshistorisk og filosofisk for noen sentrale begreper av betydning for diskusjonen om vitenskapelighet i profesjonsdisiplinene og i saerdeleshet for det følgende kapitlet om «Utvidede fagfellesskap og symbiotisk laering» 1. Redegjørelsen gjør det enklere å gi en presis karakteristikk og plassering av forslagene i følgekapitlet. Hervaerende kapittel bygger på forfatterens tidligere arbeider (bl.a. Eikeland 1997, 1998, 2008a, 2008b, 2016a, 2016b) hvor referanser til annen litteratur og historiske kilder er omfattende. Fremstillingen her er derfor forenklet, og bruk av referanser begrenset. De historiske linjene er malt med grov pensel. Innledning For å kunne beskrive og analysere «utvidede fagfellesskap» og «symbiotiske laeringssystemer» i det etterfølgende kapitlet, må moderne begreper og distinksjoner mellom «teori», «praksis», «empiri» og «metodologi» som standarder for hva kunnskap eller vitenskap er, diskuteres, problematiseres og løsnes i sammenføyningene. Også dikotomien mellom «kropp» og «sjel», eller mellom «kropp» og «sinn», må problematiseres. Det samme gjelder for nåtidens dominerende organisering og institusjonalisering av kunnskapsproduksjon basert på bestemte typer arbeidsdeling, saerlig mellom «ånd» og «hånd». Disse distinksjonene og institusjonene stammer verken fra naturen eller høyere makter. De er ikke gitt, men produkter av en bestemt historisk utvikling. Begrepenes og distinksjonenes validitet er heller ikke gitt. Både begreper og arbeidsdelinger står for tiden under press både faglig (innenfra, «validitetsmessig») og samfunnsmessig (utenfra, «relevansmessig»). Mange anerkjente utfordringer, saerlig i samfunns-vitenskapelig metodologi og vitenskapsfilosofi, og dermed også for yrkes-og profesjonsdisiplinene, henger sammen med at disse begrepene, distinksjonene, arbeidsdelingene og rammene de setter, likevel tas for gitt. Språklig presisjon og evnen til å kontekstualisere og dermed relativisere sin egen samtid, roller og praksis krever et historisk utviklet og nyansert 1 Enkelte mener at yrker og profesjoner verken er fag eller disipliner, og at disse betegnelsene bare skal brukes om de etablerte vitenskapene på universitetene som fysikk, kjemi, biologi, psykologi, sosiologi, statsvitenskap, historie osv. Siden yrker og profesjoner hevdes å bruke litt av hvert fra disse, skal de selv ikke kalles verken fag eller disipliner. Universitetsfagene er heller ikke natur-eller gudegitt, men i denne artikkelen godtar jeg «fag» som betegnelse på universitetsinndelingene, mens det er gode grunner til å kalle yrker og profesjoner for nettopp disipliner, siden «disciplina» i utgangspunktet betydde en form for praktisk trening eller opplaering i noe det fantes praktiske regler og systematikk for som satte standarder for utførelse som man kunne vurderes i forhold til. Jfr. Eikeland (2008b) om praxis-interne standarder.

BOOK REVIEW
Creating courses for adults: Design for learning, by Ralf St. Clair, San Francisco, USA, Jossey-Bass, 2015, 212 pp., £25.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781118438978
The key idea of the book is that courses for adults need to be designed and not just put together haphazardly without careful thought and planning. This central argument is reflected in the title of the book, which uses ‘creating’ and ‘design for learning’ as core ideas and permeates the thinking and framework offered as a template for designing learning. For me, this reflects the balance between flexibility and structure
that is needed for designing and teaching courses for adults in a variety of contexts.

Teaching online requires different skills, roles and competencies for online instructors compared to teaching in traditional learning environments. Universities should offer ongoing support in various forms to help academic staff through their online journey. This paper provides insights into a multinational faculty development program for teaching online, elaborating on results of expectancy and satisfaction surveys. From a local program to a subproject within the Swiss National Science Foundation Project Scopes, e-Tutor aimed at expanding competencies in online lecturing and providing OER material for training colleagues. Designed in the form of a descriptive case study, this research was conducted with 34 attendees of e-Tutor. Data was collected using an e-learning readiness and expectancy questionnaire, and open-ended questions after the program to measure satisfaction. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the survey data and content analysis for open-ended data. Participants considered e-Tutor a well-planned and targeted program with good theoretical and practical balance. Duration of such courses, opportunities for adaptation to real-life situations, and localization of the content are areas to be explored further. For future studies, it would also be interesting to see whether participants can apply their newly acquired knowledge and skills to create efficient online learning environments.

L’analyse présentée s’intéresse à l’insertion professionnelle des jeunes sans qualifications ou diplômes (NEET) — de surcroît issus de l’immigration. Ce public reste méconnu : qui sont-ils  ? Combien sont-ils  ? Où sont-ils  ? Que font-ils  ? De quoi vivent-ils  ? Quelles sont les pistes qui leur sont proposées  ? Avec quels résultats  ?... Ce sont les nombreuses questions que Joseph Gatugu et Altay Manço tentent rencontrer et leurs réponses critiques révèlent la complexité du travail d’insertion professionnelle avec ce groupe hétérogène.

The purpose of this exploratory study was to assess occupational profile, level of performance, and on-the-job training needs of nursing staff employed in all government primary health care centers in rural Crete, Greece. The translated, culturally adapted, and validated Greek version of the Training Needs Assessment questionnaire was used. There were no significant differences between 2-year degree graduates (LPNs) and 3- or 4-year degree graduates (RNs, midwives, and health visitors) in terms of importance for 28 of 30 assigned tasks, whereas level of performance did not differ in any tasks. Significant training needs were reported by all staff, mainly in research/audit and clinical skills. Systematic overview of skill deficits in relation to skill requirements should be implemented by regional health authorities to enhance delivery of on-the-job training targeting group-specific, local needs.

Key words: teaching and learning English pronunciation, comparative study, an action research, sounds, common errors, weak forms of vowels, similar and special sounds in two languages, methods, step by step exercises, systemizing learning in mind, Abstract This paper is based on two themes of a research review of literature: a) Mongolian learners have the possibility of English speech habits, and b) comparative teaching is an effective method for Mongols to learn English pronunciation. Data collection and analysis of comparing phonetics usage and learners" native language standards rules of speech were the main issues studied in an action research project. The specialized issue of undergraduate"s pronouncing errors in confusing consonant clusters, was surveyed and analyzed both cross-sectionally (semester by semester) and longitudinally (looking for changes over two academic years). We used a bottom-up approach by supporting the action research participants" accurate self-monitoring of comparing different sound articulations. Sharing the outcomes of the action research process in the pronunciation class offered findings that the natural ability of the background language is important in discovering effective ways to develop

Non-traditional students entering college academia have many benefits and many obstacles. Exploring these ideas can help inform these students on what to expect, and how to cope with these challenges. By understanding the benefits along with the obstacles through a review of previous research, a non-traditional student may have a better understanding of navigating through their academic life.

""Lesson observation has a longstanding tradition in the assessment and development of new and experienced teachers in England. Over the last two decades it has progressively emerged as an important tool for measuring and improving professional practice in schools and colleges. This article reviews literature across the three education sectors (i.e. schools, Further Education (FE) and Higher Education (HE)) in order to compare and contrast the role of observation. In doing so it discusses the key themes and issues surrounding its use in each sector and identifies common and contrasting patterns. It argues that in schools and FE, observation has become increasingly associated with performance management systems; a dominant yet contested model has emerged that relies on a simplified rating scale to grade professional competence and performance, although the recent introduction of ‘lesson study’ in schools appears to offer an alternative to such practice. In HE, however, there is limited evidence of observation being linked to the summative assessment of staff, with preferred models being peer-directed and less prescribed, allowing lecturers greater autonomy and control over its use and the opportunity to explore its potential as a means of stimulating critical reflection and professional dialogue about practice among peers.

Key words: lesson/classroom observation, professional development, teacher assessment, performance management, lesson study""

Pojmovi: projekt, Webučionica, edukacije, volonterizam, stručno usavršavanje, webinari, pandemijsko vrijeme, učenje korak po korak… Webučionica je nastala kao projekt 2019. godine i njezin primarni cilj bio je da digitalno znanje i vještine koje imamo kao autori projekta Nevena Petrović, Lana Jager i ja ponudimo i drugima kao dobre primjere. Primjere koje smo pripremili da podijelimo (u tom trenutku prvenstveno s učiteljima razredne nastave) bili primjeri koje smo sve tri redovito imale u svojim učionicama. Uz digitalna znanja i vještine koje smo imale odlučile smo prema partnerima u projektu obratiti se putem webinara i na taj način biti prisutni i svoje vještine prikazati kroz metodu korak po korak u ostvarivanju određenog načina rada u nekom digitalnom alatu. Naši prvi webinari i digitalni alati koje smo poučavali partnere u projektu bili su: Wordwall, Canva, eTwinning (više webinara), Google prezentacije, MS Power Point… Vrlo brzo smo na platformi eTwinninga u projektu imali više od 100 partnera i nismo mogli webinare održavati na toj platformi (održali smo 24 webinara/događanja na platformi eTwinninga).

Das Buch beschreibt eine im Ausland erprobte Methode für erfolgreiche Integrationsarbeit. Eine Methode, mit der man Integration genauso einfach vermitteln kann wie Lesen und Schreiben. Es bereitet jeden Dozenten gut auf jegliche Kurse vor, deren Ziel es ist Menschen in die Mehrheitsgesellschaft zu integrieren oder beim Einstieg in den Arbeitsmarkt zu helfen.
Das Buch liefert dafür nicht nur einen fachlich nötigen Überblick über gesellschaftliche und psychologische Hintergründe, es spricht auch persönliche und institutionelle Integrationsprobleme offen an. Im Gegensatz zu anderen Fachbüchern bleibt es aber nicht ein theoretischer Ansatz, sondern bietet auch etablierten Strukturen praktische methodische Lösungsansätze, pädagogische Ziele und Arbeitstechniken für einen umsetzbaren Paradigmenwechsel in der sozialen Arbeit.
Argumentativ eingebettet in die aktuellen Chancen und Herausforderungen des deutschen Arbeitsmarkts liefert das Dozentenbuch „Die Rolle des Integrationsbegleiters“ zusammen mit dem dazugehörigen Arbeitsbuch für Kursteilnehmer „Easy in die Arbeitswelt“ und seinen modularen Begleitheften aus der Reihe „Integration … leicht gemacht“ eine fertige Gebrauchsanleitung für alle Arten von Integrations- und berufsorientierenden Kursen.

Este estudio constituye un esfuerzo inédito por describir la oferta y características de los programas de diplomados de políticas y gestión públicas en Chile. La primera sección, además de introducir el estudio, describe el diseño de investigación, que utiliza estrategias cuantitativas y cualitativas en distintos niveles de análisis. La segunda sección hace un análisis de la evolución temporal de la oferta de programas de diplomado, enfocándose en cambios en la matrícula, arancel, tipo de institución, ubicación geográfica, temática y áreas, entre otros aspectos. La tercera parte presenta los resultados de un análisis similar de diplomados vigentes, además de un primer esfuerzo por caracterizar la matrícula actual de estos programas. La cuarta y quinta secciones presentan los hallazgos derivados de entrevistas semi-estructuradas realizadas a autoridad y alumnas de programas de diplomados vigentes. La sexta y última parte concluye el estudio y presenta algunas recomendaciones de política pública.

Continuing Education practitioners strive to meet the educational needs of their students, who are primarily adult students whose educational needs are not met by traditional matriculation. It is the desire of Continuing Education to design, develop and implement educational activities that can be easily accessed and meet the needs of the adult student. As Continuing Education is motivated by a variety of goals, its successes range from providing educational programming that improves the adult learners knowledge to generating revenue. Recent literature reveals that needs assessment is a tool used to achieve these goals. It is therefore the purpose of this study to develop a needs assessment model for implementation in Continuing Education. Throughout the literature on adult education needs assessment, three key concepts are identified and discussed. These salient concepts comprise a practical ideal model for assessing continuing education activities and include planning purpose, data collection and analysis, and utilization.

In this research, the ideal model is used as a point of departure to validate and refine the model. Both survey questionnaires and interview questions are used to gauge the appropriateness and usefulness of the practical ideal model for needs assessment in Continuing Education, and to get feedback on the model from Continuing Education providers and professionals engaged in needs assessment. The table on the next page represents the practical ideal model for comprehensive needs assessment in Continuing Education.

The findings of the research indicate that the originally proposed needs assessment model derived from the literature was supported. As a matter of fact, responses to all but one of the sub-components indicated that those in Continuing Education that engage in needs assessment believe these components are important and comprise a comprehensive needs assessment model,

This reflective paper seeks to explore the role of the teacher in higher education in facilitating a learner-centred approach to teaching and learning with widening participation learners. This study will draw on relevant research and theory as well as the author’s own particular experience as an award leader for a new Foundation Degree in Community Learning (FDCL). This paper has identified ‘learner centred approaches’ as its key focus as this is an approach to teaching and learning (T&L) that the author has been striving to facilitate with the first cohort of FDCL learners. The FDCL is a modular programme that is studied part-time over three years and is delivered through a series of evening and Saturday sessions. The learners on the FDCL are invariably employed as education support practitioners (e.g. parent support workers, home-school link workers, learning mentors, extended schools support officers) by schools or local authorities. Much of the learning that takes place through the FDCL is work-based, which means that the learners must routinely evidence the application of theory in their practice. The learners are also encouraged to bring workplace issues and situations into the university classroom to stimulate and shape learning activities.

The FDCL aims to develop the learners both personally and professionally, by enhancing their knowledge, understanding and skills, so that they are more effective and valued members of the education workforce. For the purposes of this assignment it is also important to point out that the majority of these learners are white, working class women in their forties and fifties, and are considered to be non-traditional higher education students. These issues and their impact on learner-centred approaches will be analysed in this study.