Advancing equity is a major challenge facing education systems globally. This creates an imperative for researchers to work with policymakers and practitioners to affect change. There have been many attempts to do this using various forms of action-oriented research and a considerable body of knowledge exists about their strengths and limitations.…

In January 2019 the University of Derby delivered its first module entirely dedicated to and structured around editing and writing articles for Wikipedia. The course focused on using Wikipedia as a means to improve students' skills in writing for public consumption, in addition to enhancing their digital and collaborative skills. Students…

Students undertook a one-hour urban ecology activity based on the University of Leeds campus. The aims of the session were (1) to help students to link ecological theory to practice and (2) to encourage students to begin to think about and develop an online professional identity. Students were encouraged to tweet throughout the session and were…

Psychology is a valuable Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) discipline, but one which could do far more at communicating its value to the wider public. This paper discusses how popular initiatives, such as "The University of Northampton's STEM Champions" programme, enhance psychology's STEM membership, while…

Online learning is a very flexible way to build and improve language knowledge alongside other work and/or study commitments whilst at the same time encouraging autonomous learning, time management, self-motivation and other skills relevant to employability. Learning on your own, however, can also be daunting. Therefore, the Languages for All…

Evidence-based reform is transforming education at all levels, both in providing effective models for use in schools and in linking policy to effective practice on a broad scale. As early education moves from a concern with effects of preschool versus no preschool to focus on creating and evaluating effective preschool models capable of improving…

The development of a workshop using the language, techniques, and processes of visual art to introduce particle physics concepts is described. Innovative delivery methods committed to the interaction and collaboration of different specialist areas are utilised, which--in curriculum terms-- encourages connections to be made between separate…

The issue of class size is a complex and contested topic that has divided opinion for many years. Whilst many teachers believe that smaller class sizes assist in enhancing outcomes, a number of policy influencers, policy makers and researchers argue that it has little influence on success in learning and that decreasing class sizes is not…

This paper reflects upon the development of the Harper Adams University Community of Practice for Exemplars (CoPfE). The University's aspiration for greater use of formative feedback was the catalyst for the creation of the CoPfE. Through informal monthly sessions members share experience, expertise and findings from their use of exemplars.…

This technical report provides an overview of the datasets and methodology used in the main report, "Investigating the Potential Use of Long-Term School and College Destination Measures. Final Report" (see ED619071). The purpose of the main report is to investigate the potential for using Department for Education's (DfE's) Longitudinal…

This article discusses teachers' experiences of making simple changes to lessons with the aim of enhancing students' ability to make connections between their everyday knowledge and science and enrich their perception of what counts as science, increasing their science capital. The classroom work followed findings by the ASPIRES team at King's…

Active learning is recognised as a crucial component of university courses in enhancing performance and retention. However, universities face numerous challenges in broadening the provision of active learning, including time constraints, and a lack of staff training and confidence to develop appropriate activities. This article outlines an…

This article uses the case study of developing a collaborative "out-of-hours" virtual enquiry service by members of the Northern Collaboration Group of academic libraries in the north of England to explore the importance of communication and collaboration between academic library services in enhancing student learning. Set within the…

Richard Kerridge writes here about his efforts to help students to overcome an experience that was once his own: of being labelled low-ability, with all the attendant lowering of expectations that this entails. He recognises the merits of rigorously ensuring that all students should be able to access their entitlement in terms of what they are…

The outcomes of national assessments in many countries provide "qualifications" or "credentials" that may be used to define the levels of students' knowledge and skills, for their own use and that of employers, higher education institutions and others. Qualification users, such as students, parents and teachers, arguably need…