In this opinion piece I present a brief introduction to embodiment and offer practical examples of embodied pedagogy. My overarching argument is that embodiment theory and practice merit a paradigmatic status in higher education pedagogies and a sub-theme is that using embodiment as a foundation for pedagogic praxis is usefully done in…

This article provides the transcript of Dr. Rupert Higham (University College London, Institute of Education) in conversation with Dr. James Biddulph (Headteacher of the University of Cambridge Primary School). Among the topics discussed are: What the University of Cambridge Primary School (UCPS) motto, "Releasing the Imagination: Celebrating…

This reflection does not pretend to be a scientific survey of curriculum trends but is, as the title suggests, a personal reminiscence of governorship across different phases of education, with snippets about the curriculum that my memory recalls.

National and transnational qualifications frameworks are an increasingly present feature of the education and training landscape. The United Kingdom can be regarded as one of the pioneers of qualifications frameworks, with partial frameworks appearing from the mid-1980s onwards. However, approaches in England if not in the whole of the UK have…

New categories of leadership are continually being invented. Because the ways we think are productive of the ways in which we act, it is important to hold these rhetorical innovations to account. This paper focuses on the latest of these categories--creative leadership. Mobilising a Foucauldian notion of "discourse" I deconstruct the…

Quality and standards in higher education is a tricky topic, but one that will not go away. Everyone has a view, but it is rarely informed by fact. The subject is particularly difficult for several reasons. Perhaps the most important of these is the lack of any generally agreed definition of what quality and standards are. In this article, the…

In both schools and homes, information and communication technologies (ICT) are widely seen as enhancing learning, this hope fuelling their rapid diffusion and adoption throughout developed societies. But they are not yet so embedded in the social practices of everyday life as to be taken for granted, with schools proving slower to change their…

There is consensus across the three main parties that adult learning, in all its forms, matters. As the Government publishes its White Paper on informal adult learning, this article asks what the three main parties think needs to be done about it. John Denham, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, argues that by working in…

This article considers some of the ways in which the transformative power of Web 2.0 digital technology is reconfiguring learning, knowledge and academic identities in the contemporary university. Through a focus on five specific examples, we consider the impact of virtualization processes on spatiality, materiality and embodiment, and pedagogic…

The topic of this paper has emerged from the work of Shelton (2000, 2003), Bernhardt, Kawagley and Hill (2000), Boylan and McSwan (1998), Bryden and Boylan (2004) and others on "place-based" and "consequential" education in rural areas, prompting the question: if place-based and consequential education is "good" for…

Educational leaders must work to establish organizational structures that help schools achieve and sustain their vision. The intent of this article is to briefly examine how closed systems stifle innovation, collaboration and flexibility in schooling. Innovation, collaboration and flexibility are key ingredients for creating successful…

Criticizes the idea of grouping the arts together in a single curriculum. Argues that such practice further marginalizes arts education, makes it easier for administrators to cut one generic budget, and ignores the distinct characteristics of separate art forms. Cautiously supports integrated activities while adamantly condemning integrated…

Universities play a role in supplying well-educated people who can contribute to innovation in business and industry. They also provide continuing training and education and serve as strategic research partners. Effective technology transfer through a variety of mechanisms can convert excellent research into economic benefit. (SK)

The United Kingdom's technology education curriculum was distorted by political imperatives and a philosophy that has no empirical verification. Top-down implementation has led to a random approach, inflated claims for technology education, and neglect of a deeper understanding of technology. (SK)

Innovation can be as much a matter of process and content as of structure. Innovation in Australian higher education will be necessary in the next few years, but without the growth or structural change that usually accompanies it. (MSE)