Increasingly, academics are engaging with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). However, within United Kingdom higher education, the definition of and activities that constitute SoTL remain open to debate. In this article, we explore SoTL through four career histories that give insight into how SoTL has developed and played a role in…

It has been suggested that higher education institutions (HEIs) may develop different activity profiles (including research, teaching and socio-economic engagement) in their attempt to maximise the fit between institutional resources and strategic opportunities; the latter include strategies of engagement with different groups of external…

Universities, across the globe, are increasingly judged on social and economic impact. An important initiative in the UK is the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014, which assessed the wider impact of university research. The Impact Case Studies, produced for REF 2014, provide a rich new source of information to explore the wider impact of…

All corners of the media are scrutinising David Cameron's "Big Society", from every conceivable angle. While the concept has caught the public's imagination, the greater challenge of fleshing out what the Big Society will actually offer and require of communities is unfinished business. The National Council for Voluntary Organisations…

For over 250 years, the RSA (Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) has been committed to finding practical solutions to today's social challenges. The Society's way of working consists of providing a platform for critical debate and new ideas; working with partners to translate knowledge and progressive thinking…

In keeping with the overarching RadioActive101 (RA101) spirit and ethos, this report is the product of collaborative and joined-up thinking from within the European consortium spread across five countries. As such, it is not simply a single voice reporting on the experiences and knowledge gained during the project. Rather it is a range of…

This article argues that faith-based schools are a necessary feature of democratic and pluralistic societies and a legitimate expression of human rights as constituted in the European Convention in Human Rights (2000). It further argues that if the rights of parents to have a real choice for faith-based schools (regardless of ability to pay) are…

Adult and community educators have always seen themselves as agents of change, building people's confidence, sense of community and ability to take part in society as well as their knowledge and skills. All the main political parties in the UK have put issues of social justice, social mobility and citizens' empowerment near the top of the policy…

The United Kingdom has been a pivotal national player within the development of community music practice. There are elements of cultural and debatably pedagogic innovations in community music. These have to date only partly been articulated and historicized within academic research. This report, funded by the UK's Arts and Humanities Research…

In an era of financial constraint, this article gives attention to the role of "community college global counterparts" by comparing colleges of further education in the UK with community colleges in the US. It points to similarities between the two and the ways in which budgetary constraints impact on them--and, in particular, on access…

The spending review brought a promise to protect adult and community learning as well as swingeing cuts to further and higher education and local government. In this article, some of the key players--Lynne Sedgmore, Christopher Brooks, Graham Hoyle, Maggie Galliers, Louise Hazel, Richard Bolsin, Maggi Dawson, Ruth Bond, Stuart Etherington, Brendan…

UK universities currently face three main challenges, related to the linked factors of development, deficit and duty. This article focuses on the final feature in the context of the former two. Specifically, it addresses the potential and problems associated with university-community partnerships, distinguishing between concepts of…

A British project to develop a learning community had to overcome challenges of trust, lack of participation by young men, and the tendency to be led by funding. Project lessons include the following: community learning is community development; providers are co-learners; and information technology is an inspirer and an equalizer. (SK)

Background: There is an increase in people with learning disabilities with offending and other disturbed behaviour who are placed in the local community and out of their area of origin. Aims: To compare clients placed locally and out of area. Method: All authorities in an English region were surveyed and interviewed about their clients placed…

Communities in Crisis is a British training program for unemployed adults that was developed in response to the needs of community organizations in areas where community programs have few resources. Its underlying philosophy focuses on motivating and encouraging long-term unemployed people to take initiatives and reflect on their progress. The…