The difficulties of undertaking education development in higher education are explored, using the Educational Objectives in Applied Science project, conducted with the Scottish Universities of Strathclyde and Heriot-Watt to illustrate the problems. This project sought to replan engineering courses within an established system. (JMD)

The organisation of students into groups (or communities) for learning purposes is an established pedagogic method in higher education. Teachers are now using group methods in networked e-learning contexts, albeit without a full understanding of the dynamics of group work in these settings. This is a new and evolving arena in higher education. In…

A study of students' group learning behavior in a laboratory course in experimental engineering at the University of New South Wales, Australia is reported. Observations of students at work and students' reports of their group activities indicate continuing group involvement in an extensive range of collaborative peer learning activities.…

Two models of instructional innovation seeking to explain why some innovations are successful are synthesized and illustrated in the course evaluation system at the University of Birmingham. Success factors include cooperation among faculty in different areas, openness of evaluation, "ownership" of innovations, leadership, and authority…

The Irish and Dutch practices concerning advanced standing are described from the viewpoints of institutions, accreditation agencies, equivalence systems, and government bodies. They are discussed in the context of the United Kingdom's current practices and of the future of European higher education in general. (MSE)

After reviewing varous methods to evaluate college student learning, it is proposed that U.S. faculty at neighboring colleges could collaborate to construct tests, much like the external examinations used in the United Kingdom, to assess student learning and the quality of education more consistently. In the long term, this method would also…

In semi-structured interviews, 11 British university lecturers were prompted to discuss their motivations for starting, continuing, and achieving closure in collaborative staff development. Motivations included learning how to teach and involve students in learning, and drawing support from faculty development experts. Findings suggest that…