Bournville College

Introduction: The term ‘metaskill’ has been used to mean a range of different types of information-based skill. This contribution describes the variation in use across disciplines and industries, and two distinct but related definitions are found. Method: Two hundred and ten scholarly papers were identified across the fields of psychology, work-based learning, education and information using key word searches. These papers are analysed for inclusion of definitions and examples of ‘metaskills’. Analysis: Comparisons are made to find similarities and disagreements within both definitions and examples. Excel is used to create word lists, and word clouds used to assess weight and frequency. Findings: Although some agreement can be found, there is no wide consensus. Two separate but related definitions emerge: that of a shorthand for ‘metacognitive skill’, and a broader ‘higher order’ technical skill type. Conclusions: Used as a buzzword in work-based learning literature, the idea of ‘metaskills’ seems to be an increasingly important part of lifelong learning. The two definitions that have emerged have some crossover, which may lead to confusion when designing skill development interventions. While formal education environments have traditionally been the source of participants for skill-based research, further work on the development of well-defined metaskills within the workplace is encouraged.

IT POINT was a 21-month project that brought public access to information technology and networks within a public library. Chelmsley Wood Library, Solihull, West Midlands, hosted the project under the guidance of the Libraries and Arts Department of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council. The British Library Research and Innovation Centre (formerly BLRDD) funded the project.
 This article presents the research methodology employed for the evaluation of the project both internally and externally. It will examine the preparatory research, the initial evaluation methodology, the work of the external Evaluation Team and their difficulties and successes and how the evaluation
 techniques might have been refined.

The goal of HCI research and design has been to deliver universal usability. Universal usability is making interfaces to technology that everyone can access and use. However, this goal has been challenged in recent times. Critics of usability (e.g., Eliot, 2002) have argued that usability “dumbs down” the user-experience to the lowest common denominator. The critics propose that focusing on ease of use can ignore the sophistication of expert users and consumers. At the same time, researchers have begun to investigate suprafunctional qualities of design including pleasure (Jordan, 2000), emotion (Norman, 2003), and fun. While recent discussions in HCI have bought these questions to the surfaces, they relate to deeper philosophical issues about the moral implications of design. Molotch (2003, p. 7), states that: Decisions about what precisely to make and acquire, and when, where, and how to do it involve moral judgements about what a man is, what a woman is, how a man ought to treat his aged parents…how he himself should grow old, gracefully or disgracefully, and so on. One response to this moral dilemma is to promote well-being rather than hedonism as an ethical design goal.

Cet article s'organise autour de la planification d'un programme en éducation s'adressant aux futurs enseignants spécialistes en art dramatique au niveau secondaire. Ce programme, mis sur pied en Angleterre, a évolué sur une période d'environ dix-huit ans. Les leçons, tirées de cette évolution, indiquent qu'en plus d'avoir répondu aux attentes du gouvernement, les promoteurs et les participants ont réussi une certaine mise à distance de la pratique; par exemple, le programme est passé de la formation de l'enseignant à l'entraînement de l'enseignant. Cet article porte sur le rapport théorie et pratique que nous avons maintenu dans le programme et sur le choix des théories retenues pour en conserver la souplesse. Un schéma détaillé du programme permet d'en observer le contenu ainsi que les méthodes d'enseignement choisies.

This study appeared in full in the last issue of Research Ethics Review (2007; 3 (2): 53). John Harris is investigating the effectiveness of a new regime for the treatment rheumatoid arthritis. His role involves asking patients to fill out a questionnaire that normally takes about 35 minutes to complete. The case study outlines three events: a patient whose eyesight is poor, another who cannot read and a receptionist who is discovered reading some of the completed questionnaires.

Journal Article XII The Nineteenth Century: The Romantic Period Get access Orianne Smith, Orianne Smith University of Maryland-Baltimore County Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Matthew Scott, Matthew Scott University of Reading Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Ana Alicia Garza, Ana Alicia Garza Queen Mary, University of London Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Jason Whittaker, Jason Whittaker Falmouth College of Arts Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Felicity James, Felicity James University of Oxford Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Gavin Budge, Gavin Budge University of Central England Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Amy Muse Amy Muse University of St Thomas Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar The Year's Work in English Studies, Volume 86, Issue 1, 2007, Pages 1–69, https://doi.org/10.1093/ywes/mam012 Published: 01 September 2007

The UK jewellery industry is predominantly made up of small businesses that have traditionally sub-contracted production and design processes. Very few companies have the capacity, or staff, to devise and implement effective design strategies and new product development. Many of them are increasingly under threat from global competition, and survival will depend on the introduction of new product development strategies.This paper reports on a case study of a completed knowledge transfer project. This design intervention resulted in the company introducing new design and production strategies, which led to a total revision of its product range.The programme resulted in radical changes within the business including product diversification and the recognition of the value of design to overall commercial success. The programme also led the company to completely revise their product range and move into a new high value added niche market through a design strategy and reappraised operations, management, production, products and marketing.

This paper focuses on one approach to making research students more reflexive in their writing. It is argued that the development of the ability to be reflexive in regard to their own qualitative research does not come easily to a significant number of students. A range of possibilities which supervisors might present to their research students as questions to be considered in these respects is outlined. Four relevant case study vignettes are presented of the work of doctoral students (with the full cooperation and written permission of all involved) who have been supervised by the author of this paper. It is argued that these demonstrate that the students concerned have found consideration of their own, sometimes shifting, positions on the insider–outsider continuum of considerable value in developing their reflexivity in relation to their own research.