Technological Applications in Adult and Vocational Education Advancement aims to advance the understanding, practice, and research within career and technical education. This book provides a global view on the education technologies for adult learning from leading scholars, theorists, and practitioners by sharing insight on innovative pedagogies and inspirational thoughts on the fields of adult education, technology, and care and technical education.

This book explores the phenomenon of researchers at risk: that is, the experiences of scholars whose research topics require them to engage with diverse kind of dangers, uncertainties or vulnerabilities. This risk may derive from working with variously marginalised individuals or groups, or from being members of such groups themselves. At other times, the risk relates to particular economic or environmental conditions, or political forces influencing the specific research fields in which they operate. This book argues for the need to reconceptualise - and thereby to reimagine - the phenomenon of researchers' risks, particularly when those risks are perceived to affect, and even to threaten the researchers. Drawing on a diverse and global range case studies including Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Baluchistan, Cyprus, and Germany, the chapters call for the need to identify effective strategies for engaging proactively with these risks to address precarity, jeopardy and uncertainty.

The face of education is constantly being transformed due to rapid changes in technology. It is imperative that leadership trends and techniques be evaluated in the educational field, particularly in reference to alternative learning programs. The Handbook of Research on Administrative Leadership in Open and Distance Learning Programs is a pivotal scholarly resource that discusses emerging issues surrounding the administration of non-traditional education practices. Highlighting relevant topics that include policy development, quality assurance, accreditation, and assessment systems, this publication is an ideal reference source for educators, academicians, graduate students, and researchers that are interested in the progression of open and distance education.

This joint World Bank-ILO study traces the experience of 19 countries in reforming their vocational education and training policies and summarizes the lessons learned, focusing on obstacles to implementing changes in response to changing labor markets and innovative approaches to overcoming these constraints. The four main messages emerging from the study are: that matching instrument to target group is vital; the role of governments as facilitators has often been overlooked; the assumed reluctance of private providers to enter the field is a myth; and lack of political will, not institutional capacity, is the main obstacle to comprehensive reform.

All students enter our math classrooms with ideas worthy of discussion. Some of the most effective breakthroughs come from short, intentional talks between students and teacher, yet planning for these moments can seem daunting. In her innovative book, Conferring in the Math Classroom, Gina Picha focuses on simple and transformative ways teachers can use math conferences, short conversations between teachers and small groups of students at work, to guide instruction, assess understanding, and build strong math thinkers. Inside you'll learn how to: Facilitate math conferences to listen to students, encourage them to share their math thinking, and build on their strengths Ask exploratory questions to gain insight into their math reasoning and plan the next steps for instruction Provide differentiated instruction based on the individual and group needs Picha includes teacher questioning guides, If-Then charts organized by grade level and math topic, and note-taking templates to help you get started with math conferring right away. This practical and accessible approach can help students deepen their math understanding, build confidence in their math abilities, and connect learnings between math subjects.

The book asks how we can make sense of career paths for PhD graduates, something that has rarely been systematically studied. It offers a coherent synthesis of the empirically-based insights that arose from the experiences of 48 early career researchers, who were participants in a 10-year qualitative longitudinal research program. The book has the power to inform other researchers' conceptual and methodological approaches to the study of post-PhD career trajectories. The authors draw on the conceptual lens of 'identity-trajectory', which emerged from their research program, to examine the decision-making processes underpinning the careers of PhD graduates, whether contingent researchers and teachers, assistant professors within the academy or professionals elsewhere. The book highlights the role of personal agency in negotiating academic and non-academic work and careers within broader personal lives. It will be compelling reading for researchers and students working in the areas of Education and Sociology, particularly those with an interest in examining career development and decision-making.

Recently, there has been an increased understanding that learning occurs outside of the traditional classroom setting, particularly for adult lifelong learners. This perspective has enhanced an attentive design in the underlying technological architecture that is required for the integration of formal and informal learning environments. Synergic Integration of Formal and Informal E-Learning Environments for Adult Lifelong Learners presents a collection of issues and research from adult education professionals who define, develop, implement, and evaluate the integration of formal and informal eLearning environments for adult lifelong learners. Academics, teachers, administrators, and learning technologists will benefit from this publication s unique approach to discussing and analyzing the challenges of introducing and implementing learning technologies for adult lifelong learners."

The book provides a systemic view of the state-of-the- art of Digital Game Based Learning (DGBL) across the lifespan, from age-specific game design requirements to technological devices that could overcome child and older adult difficulties in the use of DGBL technologies. Other topics include cross-generational digital game-based learning, workplace gaming, exergaming, serious games to tackle societal challenges,and implications of DGBL across the lifespan for game designers. In addition to the state-of-the-art methodologies provided for age-specific gamedesign, development, implementation and assessment, a significant portion of the book focuses on case studies where DGBL have been designed and implemented in every age groups and in cross-generational situations.

Readings for Reflective Teaching in Further, Adult and Vocational Education is a unique portable library of exceptional readings drawing together seminal extracts and contemporary literature from international sources from books and journals to support both initial study and extended career-long professionalism for further, adult and vocational education practitioners. Introductions to each reading highlight the key issues explored and explain the status of classic works. This book, along with the core text and associated website, draw upon the work of Andrew Pollard, former Director of the TLRP, and the work of many years of accumulated understanding of generations of further, adult and vocational professionals. Readings for Reflective Teaching in Further, Adult and Vocational Education, the core text, Reflective Teaching in Further, Adult and Vocational Education, and the website, provide a fully integrated set of resources promoting the expertise of further, adult and vocational professionals. The associated website, www.reflectiveteaching.co.uk offers supplementary resources including reflective activities, research briefings and advice on further readings. It also features a glossary of educational terms, links to useful websites and showcases examples of excellent research and practice. This book forms part of the Reflective Teaching series, edited by Andrew Pollard and Amy Pollard, offering support for reflective practice in early, primary, secondary, further, vocational, university and adult sectors of education.

Over the last two decades, the use of instructional coaching has surged in PreK-12 education settings as one way to support the implementation of instructional best practices in a wide range of disciplines. Perhaps this is partly due to professional development (PD) research indicating that more sustained durations of meaningful collaboration focused on context-relevant topics is necessary. The authors have experienced this surge firsthand as practitioners, state leaders, preservice teacher-educators, education researchers, and PD providers. It is clear that coaching - when done well - supports educators in their use of best practices. However, not all educators have access to high-quality instructional coaching due to multiple factors, which typically include isolation (geographic and otherwise), limited financial support, and limited PD time. In addition, the Covid 19 global pandemic brought long periods of quarantine and social isolation where educators were scrambling to teach in an unfamiliar medium and virtual coaching was the only way they could receive PD. For these reasons, many districts are exploring virtual solutions to providing PD and coaching support. This book will clearly connect research and best practices for coaching virtually through VECTOR (c), and offer specific guidance (e.g., coaching questions, coach-coachee activities) and relatable anecdotes to support working with educators in each phase. Practitioner examples will engage readers as they contextualize examples, develop a deeper understanding, and generate a vision for virtual coaching and how to do it effectively. The proposed text stands apart from other texts about coaching and coaching models in that it specifically addresses how to effectively implement virtual coaching in the field of education. It will show that virtual coaching offers a way for administrators to implement personalized and job-embedded professional development for teachers, and do so affordably in a manageable way. It also shows how technology can provide more equitable access to job-embedded and personalized professional learning (through virtual coaching) across all educational institutions. The primary audiences for this book include those responsible for supporting implementation of a variety of strategies and practices in the field of education. These audiences include professional development providers, building and district-level education leaders, on-site instructional coaches, virtual coaches, educational service center leaders and providers, and even educational researchers responsible for implementing interventions across a broad geographical region. Secondary audiences may include corporate trainers, and those who coach virtually in other fields of leadership and wellness. This book aims to translate research to practice in an approachable, easy-to-read format that virtual coaches can easily understand and apply to their own work with virtual coaching participants.

This book presents the authentic voices of science teachers engaged in practitioner inquiry as one component of a comprehensive professional development program. Practitioner inquiry as a genre of educational research, allows teachers to intentionally study their practices thus generating practical solutions to problems in their teaching and students' learning. The teachers' voices allowed us to enter their science classrooms to observe their posture and practices as reflective practitioners. They encountered issues such as culturally responsive teaching and low literacy proficiency and metacognitive skills among their struggling science learners. Their firsthand accounts provide new insights about practitioner inquiry as a tool to support teachers continuous learning, regardless of the disciplinary content areas. The book therefore provides a blueprint that can inform inservice teacher educators and support school and district administrators as they seek to nurture teachers' professional growth.

It is unfortunate but true that many misconceptions exist regarding teaching English to non-English speakers. Just as one who can read is not by that criterion alone capable of teaching reading, knowing a particular language does not ensure that one can effectively teach it. It is an error to assume that "common sense" can guide one in this regard. True "common sense" is simply not as common as many may believe. What may appear a sensible thing to do in teaching ESOL, may in fact (as one who reads the book will see) prove counter-productive and in turn detrimental to the learning process. This book focuses on subject matter which includes the question of what language actually is (it's components, skills and traits), the history of the English language, past and current ESOL teaching techniques and culture as a factor in language learning. The book is designed to be of value to ESOL teachers and administrators, students preparing to teach ESOL, volunteers in need of learning more about the field and individuals who may simply be interested in the history of the English language and/or ESOL methodology. The book's information is expected to increase the knowledge of readers as well as to help some strengthen and others develop a solid foundation upon which to rely in whatever approach they choose to teach ESOL.

Eight of the thirteen chapters describe investigations of adults' literacy skills based on analyses of the National Adult Literacy Survey. The studies describe how work contributes to literacy, associations between literacy skills and reading practices, reciprocal effects of education and literacy, gender differences in literacy abilities, the relationship between literacy and voting behavior, the literacy skills of adults having one or more learning disabilities, and the construct validity of the NALS. One chapter summarizes the major findings of the NALS and another discusses federal educational policies that shaped the NALS. Two additional chapters describe research programs pertaining to dimensions of literacy that are significant to a more comprehensive understanding of literacy in the United States: family literacy education and health care. The National Adult Literacy Survey has provided literacy researchers and practitioners with a wealth of knowledge about American adults' literacy proficiencies. Literacy for the 21st Century was developed with the idea that the NALS contains useful information to inform public educational policy, suggest new directions for literacy research, and assist in adult literacy education program development. The ideas presented in this book should enable policymakers, social leaders, and educators to more fully consider national assessment data, thereby prompting actions necessary to enable all citizens to achieve greater opportunities in their work and lives.

This book addresses the politically charged issue of citizenship and English language learning among adult migrants in the UK. Whilst citizenship learning is inherent in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), the book argues that top-down approaches and externally-designed curricula are not a productive or useful approach. Meaningful citizenship education in adult ESOL is possible, however, if it brings social and political content centre-stage alongside pedagogy which develops the capabilities for active, grassroots, participatory citizenship. The chapters deliver a detailed examination of citizenship and ESOL in the UK. They address a range of community and college-based settings and the needs and circumstances of different groups of ESOL students, including refugees, migrant mothers, job seekers and students with mental health needs. The book draws attention to the crucial role of ESOL teachers as 'brokers of citizenship' mediating between national policy and the experiences and needs of adult migrant students. The book links together language pedagogy and citizenship theory with the practical concerns of ESOL teachers and students.

There is an increasing proliferation of service-learning courses in colleges and universities in the U.S. and internationally, and research in the field has seen significant growth in diverse geographic areas in the past decade. Membership organizations now exist to convene scholars and practitioners across the globe. Chapters in this volume are based on presentations given at the 2010 annual conference of the International Association for Research on Service Learning and Community Engagement held in Indianapolis, IN. The conference theme "International Perspectives: Crossing Boundaries through Research" was chosen to highlight ways in which research crosses all kinds of boundaries: disciplinary boundaries, cultural boundaries, and national boundaries. Although service-learning is valued as an active learning strategy across the globe, little is known about the ways that service-learning is similar or different in varied contexts. Understanding service-learning and community engagement from cross-cultural and crossdisciplinary perspectives will improve both research and practice. Together, these chapters represent the diversity, complexity, and creativity evident by scholars and practitioners in this field of study.

This unique book describes literacy programs that take place in contemporary workplaces and explores their consequences for the employees (especially the managers), the organizations, and society as a whole. Employing a critical sociological perspective, Boyle argues that literacy education in the workplace has as much to do with organizational legitimacy and managerial ideology as with illiterate workers. Her analysis reveals that such programs can be understood as having a range of consequences: Not only do they increase skills, these programs improve work attitudes and show employer beneficence. They also assimilate immigrants, assure retention and stability at the lowest organizational level, legitimize competitive strategy based on investment in human resources, privatize a neglected public good, and allow middle managers to maintain their position in the hierarchy, among other things. As a result, she suggests that employer-sponsored literacy programs have the effect of perpetuating the inequities experienced by those at the bottom of the organizational chart, despite the rhetoric of egalitarianism and opportunity that typically accompanies educational endeavors.

Through the example of workplace literacy programs, Boyle debunks the commonplace assumption that education is an unmitigated good and addresses fears of corporate co-optation. The phenomenon of employer-sponsored education is revealed to be complex and contradictory, with consequences that extend beyond the classroom walls. Economic inequities are exacerbated by such programs, and the social problems associated with illiteracy are not alleviated. By exploring the boundary-blurring that occurs when market organizations become involved with non market ideas and practices, when public and private sector responsibilities shift, and when the workplace becomes the new schoolhouse, Boyle illuminates the complexities involved at organizational, individual, and societal levels.

This book is the product of a series of reflections by career counseling and guidance specialists on a question central to society: "How can career and life design interventions contribute to fair and sustainable development and to the implementation of decent work all over the world? ". This question was formulated by Professor J. Guichard, the director of the UNESCO Chair in Lifelong Guidance and counseling at the University of Wroclaw, Poland. The researchers involved in this Chair's activities proposed answers which form the chapters of this book. These reflections emphasize the need to focus on the study and implementation of certain central psychological processes which can enable individuals to face the main challenges of our society. The contributions also propose new avenues of intervention for career counseling and guidance. The entire book is the bedrock of a program of research and interventions to be implemented in order that the field of career counseling and guidance plays a key role for individuals who must design their lives in a rapidly changing, and ever more complex context. This book is therefore a major scientific contribution and marks a turning point for researchers and practitioners in career counseling and guidance, and for all professionals who support the self-construction of individuals in the 21st century. "The authors draw on a diverse range of disciplines and research traditions and offer readers a rich array of insights, helping them reflect on how career guidance can be mobilised to serve citizens in a world that is increasingly challenged by complex, seemingly intractable problems. A central, crosscutting concern is the ways in which career guidance can foster well-being by facilitating access to meaningful and fulfilling work in contexts that promote equity, social justice, and dignity for all. While engaging the micro-worlds of individuals, and throwing light on their valiant efforts to design a life that realises their hopes and aspirations, it is a commendable feature of many of these papers that they do not eschew the societal - indeed planetary - stage across which personal dramas are enacted." Prof. Ronald G. Sultana, Director, Euro-Mediterranean Centre for Educational Research, University of Malta. "The primary strengths.....are the authors' capacity to provide forward thinking perspectives on the important issue of sustainable lifelong interventions and career design in its broadest sense. The volume offers depth in a way of thinking that is pertinent to the 21st century and provokes both an in interest in the further study of this domain as well as providing tools and references for novice and experienced researchers and professionals. The book is sure to become a major text in the field." Prof. Maurice Taylor, Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa, Canada

Educators and those who prepare teachers are facing increased scrutiny on their practice that include pressures to demonstrate their effectiveness, meet the needs of changing demographics and students, and adapt to ever-changing learning environments. Thus, there is a need for innovative pedagogies and adoption of best practices to effectively serve the needs of digital learners. The Handbook of Research on Innovative Pedagogies and Best Practices in Teacher Education is an essential research book that takes an in-depth look at the methods by which educators are prepared to address shifting demographics and technologies in the classroom and provides strategies for focusing their curricula on diverse learning types. It takes a look at the use of innovative pedagogies and effective learning spaces in teacher education programs and the decisions behind them to enhance more inquiry learning, STEM initiatives, and prove more kinds of exploratory learning for students. Covering topics such as higher education, virtual reality, and inclusive education, this book is ideally designed for teachers, administrators, academicians, instructors, and researchers.

Distance Learning journal is a premiere outlet for articles featuring practical applications of distance education in states, institutions, and countries. Distance Education: Statewide, Institutional, and International Applications of Distance Education, Second Edition is a collection of readings from Distance Learning journal written by practitioners for practitioners.

This book explores the realities of adult education practice in the current political and economic climate. With a particular focus on examining the effect of the multitude of changes in policy and philosophy over the past 30 years, the book explores how the values and career expectations of adult educators have been affected, and considers the implications for adult education as a field of professional practice. As well as exploring the broader international picture, the book draws on the findings of recent research into adult and community education practitioners' perspectives in two case study countries - England and Aotearoa/New Zealand - to illustrate how local contexts and cultures, as well as global trends, impact on the structure and organisation of adult education. By presenting the perspectives of adult educators, whose voices have been relatively absent from the recent literature, this book gives a unique insight into how their work has been adversely affected by funding and policy pressures in an increasingly insecure educational environment, and analyses their responses to the contradictions between their professional values and the expectations placed upon them by policy and funding changes. It will be of great interest to students and researchers working in Education and Sociology, and will also make compelling reading for policy-makers.

In this book, authors showcase the worldwide spread of Workers' Faculties as an example of both cooperation between socialist countries in education, and globalization processes in the field of education. Based on extensive research carried out in Cuban, German, Mozambican, and Vietnamese archives as well as expert interviews, it combines detailed case studies of educational transfers and policy implementation with a discussion of theoretical approaches to the study of globalization in and of education. Research on Workers' Faculties provides an especially interesting example for the study of educational transfer between socialist countries as well as for the interplay of such transfers with processes of globalisation for two reasons. On one hand, the first Workers' Faculties were established already shortly after the October Revolution in Russia, and Workers' Faculties continue to exist in Cuba until today. A study of these institutions therefore provides a dynamic perspective covering the whole period of the existence of the socialist camp. On the other hand, the spread of the Workers' Faculty idea to four continents allows for an analysis that takes into account widely differing local contexts. This book offers an analysis of general trends and particularities in the history of the global spread of the Workers' Faculty idea and its implementation in local contexts. Finally, it discusses the results with a view towards theories of globalization in the field of education as well as of specificities of processes of "socialist globalization".

Emerging technologies have enhanced the learning capabilities and opportunities in modern school systems. To continue the effective development of such innovations, the intended users must be taken into account. End-User Considerations in Educational Technology Design is a pivotal reference source for the latest scholarly material on usability testing techniques and user-centered design methodologies in the development of technological tools for learning environments. Highlighting a range of pertinent topics such as multimedia learning, human-computer interaction, and online learning, this book is ideally designed for academics, researchers, school administrators, professionals, and practitioners interested in the design of optimized educational technologies.

This book presents essential insights into lifelong learning and education in healthy and sustainable cities, providing a basis for strategies to help achieve the 2030 Agenda sustainable development and health promotion goals. The interface between environment, health and lifelong learning is fundamental to attaining these goals, and as such, the book gathers interdisciplinary reflections from researchers, educators and other experts concerning the links between environmental quality, human health, human education and well-being, and addressing inequality, unplanned urbanization, migration, lifestyles, and consumption and production patterns. Topics include: Urban planning to address inequality in health and urban poverty; Healthy cities and healthy environments; Governance for sustainable development; Social determinants of health oriented on sustainable development goals; Education and lifelong learning for sustainability; Energy security, access and efficiency; Sustainable cities, buildings and infrastructure.

This practical guide is a must read for students interested in developing the attitudes, knowledge, skills, and values that foster positive relationships with people from diverse cultures both within and outside of the workplace. It contains real-life examples from students drawn from the authors' work across different countries. In an age of growing diversity and increasing global mobility, living and working with people from different cultural backgrounds is becoming the norm. To address this complex topic, the authors invite students to consider key questions such as: How do our cultural backgrounds influence our behavior towards others? What is intercultural competence and how can it help students to get along in work and life? How can institutions help students to develop intercultural competence? What does it have to do with topics like prejudice, discrimination, and racism? How can intercultural competence facilitate social change and help students to succeed in their careers? Written for students in any country and studying in any discipline, this book includes practical activities designed to help students to develop intercultural competence throughout their time at college or university. It is useful for students as an autonomous learning source, or as a resource for taught courses. Drawing on a comprehensive and rigorous knowledge of the field, the authors have written a thought-provoking analysis and a practical guide to understanding and enacting Intercultural Competence. I learnt from and admire their ambitious vision of the significance of intercultural competence for society and for the lives and careers of their readers.- Michael Byram, author of Teaching and Assessing Intercultural Communicative Competence, Durham University, UK This is a wonderfully readable book, which carefully and clearly explains the concept of intercultural competence, exploring its implications for addressing many of the most crucial issues facing the world today. Based on impeccable scholarship, and containing a wealth of practical activities, this book is highly recommended for students and interested laypeople alike.- Martyn Barrett, University of Surrey, UK An exceptionally user-friendly and theory-informed guidebook that would not only benefit university students but anyone with an interest in intercultural communication. The book is second to none in terms of clarity of presentation and coverage of concepts, models and practical ideas relevant to intercultural competence for the contemporary society. -Anwei Feng, University of Nottingham Ningbo, China An essential handbook and excellent addition to conventional textbooks. Nuanced and down-to-earth explanations about intercultural communication which are accessible to everyone. Insightful explanations for educators and students alike. Easy to use self-study guide with thought-provoking exercises. This book has been long needed and has come at just the right time. --Ivett Guntersdorfer, Founder and Director of the Intercultural Communication Certificate Program, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen, Germany

In the current economic climate and global workplace, adult learning routinely comes to the forefront as individuals, companies, and industries strive to adapt at the pace of change. Vocational Education Technologies and Advances in Adult Learning: New Concepts provides a global look at educational technologies for adult learners with content drawing from theory, research, practice, individual experience, and insight by leading scholars, theorists, and practitioners worldwide. This volume provides educators, researchers, practitioners, and graduate students with insight into all areas affecting teaching, learning, research, and practice, sharing innovative pedagogies and inspirational insights into career and technical education (CTE), adult education, and technology.