This article summarises the methodology and outcomes of an interventionist/action research project to assess the benefits, and potential pitfalls, of the use of mobile devices in learning and teaching activities in a Further Education environment. A bank of 15 tablet devices were purchased and prepared for classroom use. Staff members were…

There is an assumption that e-learning is considered as a valued resource with great potential. This research explores how hairdressing apprentices experience vocational e-learning and makes recommendations on how good practice can be shared. An estimated 35,000 hairdressing and barber salons account for a quarter of a million UK workers and…

The assessment of vocational workplace-based qualifications in England relies on human assessors (raters). These assessors observe naturally occurring, non-standardised evidence, unique to each learner and evaluate the learner as competent/not yet competent against content standards. Whilst these are considered difficult to measure, this study…

This paper takes a case study approach to provide evidence of the benefits of podcasting as a tool used to support a vocational qualification in the subject area of Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy (Nail Technology). It reflects on the experiences of both the lecturer and the students and concludes that podcasting is a valuable tool, supporting a…

Research has demonstrated that women near ovulation change their appearance in order to look more attractive. I hypothesized that, near ovulation, women would use more cosmetics. In a first study, female participants received an LH test in a laboratory setting to determine their fertility risk. Participants estimated the time they had spent…

The National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (NACCAS) is a national accreditor whose scope of recognition is for the accreditation throughout the United States of postsecondary schools and departments of cosmetology arts and sciences and massage therapy. The agency accredits approximately 1,300 institutions offering…

The graduate of the Hairstylist apprenticeship program is a certified journeyperson who will be able to perform the following tasks: (1) haircutting; (2) chemical texturing, chemical relaxing; (3) hair colouring; (4) eyebrow and eyelash treatment; (5) facial services for hairstyling purposes (moustaches and beards); (6) wigs and hair additions;…

The graduate of the Hairstylist apprenticeship program is a certified journeyperson who will be able to perform the following tasks: (1) haircutting; (2) chemical texturing, chemical relaxing; (3) hair colouring; (4) eyebrow and eyelash treatment; (5) facial services for hairstyling purposes (moustaches and beards); (6) wigs and hair additions;…

Catalyst, a quarterly newsletter from the Institute's Communications Office, contains news, information, and features about the programs and services of the National Institute for Literacy. Contents of this issue include: (1) Shanahan on the National Early Literacy Panel Report: What's in Store; (2) Director's Message; (3) Representative Fattah to…

Secondary vocational-technical education programs in Mississippi are faced with many challenges resulting from sweeping educational reforms at the national and state levels. Schools and teachers are increasingly being held accountable for providing true learning activities to every student in the classroom. This accountability is measured through…

This paper presents research into how four female trainee hairdressers use Facebook. The participants are friends, attending college in the north of England. In this work I was interested in participants' presentations of self as presented through their Facebook activities. This work draws on New Literacy Studies to consider the written texts and…

In Taiwan, people are getting more aware of beauty treatments and the concept of health care. This study hopes to bring all relevant concepts such as Aromatherapy, essential scented oils, medical foods, human meridians, Chinese five elements therapy, and beauty business management into the curriculum design, and seriously considered many factors…

Meet 19-year-old barber, artist and soon-to-be college freshman Aharon Nkwodimmah. Nkwodimmah began honing his barbering skills at the age of 12 on his younger brother's head, without permission, of course: that didn't turn out well for either of them. But by the age of 15, Nkwodimmah was known for his "lines." And for that reason, there was…

In postmodern scholarship there has been a temporal shift to thinking of the body as malleable rather than fixed, which has opened space for the remaking of the self via the remaking of the body (Featherstone, 1991; Giddens, 1991). Among men, this process is thought to interact with shifting understandings of masculinity. In this study, 14…

This article discusses nanotechnology as a route to the production of new materials and provides a brief history of the evolution of this branch of materials science. Properties on the nanoscale are compared with those on the macroscale. The practical application of nanomaterials in industries such as communications, construction, cosmetics,…