Higher education is perpetually in crisis, buffeted by increasing costs and a perceived lack of return on investment, campus culture that is criticized for stifling debate on controversial topics, and a growing sense that the liberal arts are outmoded and irrelevant. Some observers even put higher education on the brink of death. "The New…

This book explores the holistic development of vocational education in Chinese education system. It investigates the vocational education policy development, student development, allocation of teachers' resources, financial mechanism and system, students' financial aid, examination and enrollment, private vocational education system, and…

Published annually since 1985, the Handbook series provides a compendium of thorough and integrative literature reviews on a diverse array of topics of interest to the higher education scholarly and policy communities. Each chapter provides a comprehensive review of research findings on a selected topic, critiques the research literature in terms…

Purpose: To identify key factors that are contributing to vulnerability in business schools in Australian public universities and determine the degree of vulnerability exhibited by these schools. Design/methodology/approach: Using a multi-criteria assessment (MCA) approach, a framework is developed to determine which business schools are most…

The core practice of professional scientists is inquiry, often referred to as research. If educators are to prepare students for a role in the professional scientific and technological community, exposing them to inquiry-based learning is essential. Despite this, inquiry-based teaching and learning (IBTL) remains relatively rare, possibly due to…

This guide is for head teachers and school governors to help them invest their Pupil Premium funding in Family Learning programmes. The Pupil Premium is additional funding for schools in England to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and close the gap between them and their peers. Family Learning is a pedagogical approach that refers to…

This report provides an overview of the financial health of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)-funded higher education sector in England. The analysis covers financial results for the academic year 2013-14, as submitted to HEFCE in December 2014, as well as the outcomes from the sector's Transparent Approach to Costing (TRAC)…

This book describes the history, structure and institutions of open and distance education in six countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, the UK and the US. It discusses how open and distance education is evolving in a digital age to reflect the needs and circumstances of national higher education systems in these countries, and explores…

The WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies (WCET) has long been interested in multi-institutional consortia and systems that help their member institutions share resources with the goal of increasing the institutional capacity for technology-enhanced courses, programs, and student support services. WCET's Consortia Group has focused on the…

British Columbia's Government, through its Jobs Plan and International Education Strategy, has recognized the increasing importance of international education to the province's education system and economy. The Ministry of Education also recognized the expertise that school districts and schools have developed in this sector and the excellent work…

Educators today are challenged with the task of designing curricula and standards for students of varying abilities. While technology and innovation steadily improve classroom learning, teachers and administrators continue to struggle in developing the best methodologies and practices for students with disabilities. "Models for Effective…

Directors of education in Greece operate at prefectural level and are the heads of the local directorates or bureaus of primary/secondary education. Because of the centralized character of the educational system, their role is restricted to facilitating the smooth operation of the local school system and implementing the national policy on school…

The FE (further education) and and Skills sector will be transformed by the announcements of the Spending Review. The impact will be far more wide-reaching than a simple reduction in the amount of central funding the sector will receive from government. The decisions taken will directly affect issues as diverse as uptake, retention, curricula,…

To promote sustainable development within the global knowledge-based society, the Japanese government is urging the nation's higher education institutions to internationalize. Although a select number of Japanese universities are highly regarded in world university rankings, many observers argue that the majority of Japanese higher education…

This "good practice" guide is aimed at anyone in higher education in England who is involved in making decisions on investments. It focuses on the principles to be followed, rather than the techniques of appraisal. The guide outlines the steps for developing an outline business case and then refining it into a full business case for the…