Within the congenitally deaf population there exists a sizeable number of individuals who are considered to be traditionally underserved. These individuals are characterized by severe communication deficits irrespective of modality (e.g., speech, sign language, reading, writing). Unfortunately, until now there has not been a comprehensive…

This paper reports on the findings about a mentoring project that failed. It is based on a case study in which the writer participated as a mentor of the staff members of the South African Department of Labour. In 2002, the South African Department of Labour (DoL) published a tender ref: Services/ta/cst/p1/wp3 for Communications Skills Training…

This paper deals with issues related to drawing up plans and putting into practice e-learning initiatives in complex and demanding business environments such as organizations that require recurring training, to optimize their learning processes in terms of cost reduction and efficiency gains. We view the issue of initiating and executing such an…

This article follows Engestrom (2001) in suggesting a new approach to learning in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) based on the social and cultural realities of the workplace. The article briefly reviews the theoretical status and practical standing of work on lifelong learning in SMEs, and suggests that Engestrom's work may help us to…

This article discusses the findings of a research project which examined the participation in workplace learning of Australian school students in the post-compulsory years. The study was carried out in two States, New South Wales (NSW) and South Australia (SA), in the latter part of 2000. Primarily focusing upon work experience, formal vocational…

The aim of the research reported in this dissertation is to describe how experienced secondary school teachers learn at work in an informal environment. The study is part of a larger research project aimed at providing a conceptual framework of teacher learning in the workplace as it takes place both in informal and formal learning environments.…

The first decade of democracy in South Africa ushered in dramatic social policy reforms. One innovation in initial teacher education emerged through the skills development policy, which introduced learnerships to address South Africa's human resource development needs. South Africa's learnerships have been adapted from countries such as the United…

This document gives an overview of current needs expressed so far in the project for multimedia management and real-time communication services between groups of learners/workers and examine the kind of support that a standard-based technical solution "off-the-shelf" can help in solving main technical issues and in focusing on…

As we move rapidly into the 21st century leaders face the challenge of being effective in a global knowledge environment. Now, more than ever, leaders must play the key role in helping organizations cope with the challenges they face from expanding knowledge and knowledge systems. Leaders must guide changes in a climate of increased competition to…

This paper presents some initial findings from a multi-year project that is exploring the growth of mathematical understanding in a variety of construction trades training programs. In this paper, we focus on John, an entry-level plumbing trainee. We explore his understandings for multiplication, fractions and units of imperial measure as he…

This paper describes in detail the narrative approach taken in a study of a particular facet of learning in the workplace--how people make sense of change. In unstructured in-depth interviews, employees were encouraged to tell their stories about their organisations, revealing details about the organisational culture and the ways in which this…

Purpose: This article sets out to look at how employees who have survived an organisational downsizing and restructuring process adjust to meet the dynamics of the organisation, develop new skills and competencies, and the extent to which they take on new roles in the organisation. Design/methodology/approach: Collects accounts from managers,…

This article discusses workplace participatory practices: the reciprocal process of engaging in and learning through work. The reciprocity between the affordance of the workplace (its invitational qualities) and individuals' engagement in the workplace is proposed as a means of understanding how learning through work proceeds. How workplaces…

Drawing upon empirical data, this article explores the ways in which school culture and leadership impact on new teachers' learning in the workplace. The study was carried out over a two-year period and involved a cohort of 14 new teachers and 18 elementary and secondary schools. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the new…

Participation in senior secondary education in Australia has experienced tremendous growth since the late 1960s. Much of this growth has come from young people who were the first in their families to participate in schooling at this level. Many of the changes in participation and in curriculum offerings have been documented as part of a number of…