Originating in Buddhist contemplative traditions, mindfulness theory and practice--which foregrounds present-moment awareness and attention--has extended its modern secular and therapeutic applications into an exponentially expanding range of fields and disciplines including psychology, psychotherapy, mind--body health practices and education at…

This is the final report of a three-year research project that aimed to identify and evaluate the potential models and practices of learning support that might constitute a national approach to workers' continuing education and training. The identification of a national approach to continuing education and training is emerging as a priority for…

This paper argues that the emergence of design thinking and design-research provide a renewed opportunity for expansive learning, and proposes a model for educational design using concepts drawn from Activity Theory, Ecological Cognition, and other systems-based understandings of learning. The model is argued in the context of a design project…

Social approaches to work-related informal learning, such as proactive feedback-seeking, help-seeking and information-seeking, are important determinants of development in the workplace. Unfortunately, previous research has failed to clearly conceptualize these forms of learning and does not provide a validated and generally applicable measurement…

This paper brings together concepts drawn from Actor Network Theory and data generated in a research project that was conducted across the island of Ireland. Using surveys and interviews with school staff, that research explored the limits and possibilities for workplace learning as a valued component of the senior school curriculum. The current…

Purpose: The study aims to examine the issues relating to workplace learning at the upper secondary school level. This study is based on the two questions. How should the professional/peer-learning community or PLC be developed and deployed to help strengthen in-service teacher training? The second question is what are the success factors which…

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the differences in mindfulness, meditation and flow and the conditions in which each occurs. It summarizes research that demonstrates positive benefits of these three for employee and organizational learning. While mindfulness focuses awareness on what is occurring in the moment, flow involves total immersion in…

While portfolios have seen an unprecedented surge in popularity, they have also become the subject of controversy: learners often perceive little gain from writing reflections as part of their portfolios; scholars question the ethics of such obligatory reflection; and students, residents, teachers and scholars alike condemn the bureaucracy…

Asynchronous communication may have a profound impact on employee collaboration and productivity in the workplace due to the loss of face-to-face interaction and the relationships these opportunities may foster. However, as broadly defined within the literature, synchronous communication is a rich media that supports this type of collaboration and…

The concept of "negotiation" is often used to describe and explain the interactive nature of vocational learning. Such learning is accomplished as workers engage in the joint activities that comprise their occupational practice. In doing so they interact with the material and cultural resources that enable their work to produce and…

English teachers in Vietnam have integrated technology in education for the past several years, particularly those who are working in the private sector. Regardless of the high number of Vietnamese teachers working in this sector, how they perceive technology integration and how important it is to their professional development have not yet been…

Competency-based education (CBE) has become well-accepted as a powerful way to personalize learning. Today's advanced technologies have enhanced CBE even further. Practitioners in the field are seeking means to take advantage of technology to increase CBE's effectiveness and efficiency, especially for adult learners. Microlearning and digital open…

The apprenticeship training system in British Columbia (BC) includes public post-secondary institutions, the Industry Training Authority (ITA), private training institutions, and employers. Currently, apprenticeship training is available in more than 100 trades, including 49 Interprovincial Red Seal trades. The majority of apprenticeship training…

Little is known about how university institutions are coping with increased placement demands in professional disciplines, and what this means for the quality and integrity of the Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) experiences offered within degree programs for all partners concerned. The first stage of a critical ethnographic study is reported in…

The aim of this study was to investigate the work-based internship experiences of eight student-coaches. This was particularly in terms of what precisely such coaches learned within the practical context, and how they engaged with unexpected situational events. The methods employed within the project included focus group interviews and participant…