ADSET's Information Weblog

R is not at the end of the alphabet ...

2009-11-05T19:02:00.002Z

but the RSA Journal was at the bottom of a large pile of journals that I have been ploughing through today in the British Library.

If you are familiar with this publication you may appreciate my dismay at reaching the final item in the pile just half-an-hour before closing time.
If you're not familiar with it then you may not understand why I gave up and have marked it for re-requesting on my next visit in two weeks.

It’s a “good read” – but not necessarily an easy one. A quick glance tells me that there are at least two articles that I'd want to blog about – but a) not in half-an-hour and b) not at the end of a long day. (The BL opens at 09:30 and closes at 20:00. I got here soon after opening time and won’t be leaving until time is called at 19:45.)

Location is still important when it comes to career development

2009-11-04T09:54:00.000Z

via The Management Blog by Adrian Gaskell

Location is increasingly important when it comes to people attending university, according to new research.The Location, Location, Location study carried out by the University and College Union shows that the education and career development gap between rich and poor people has continued to widen under the Labour government. According to the study, in the 20 poorest areas of the UK the number of adults with a degree has fallen over the past three years.
The announcement comes after a £2 billion government initiative to widen access to university education and management qualifications.
General secretary of the University and College Union Sally Hunt said: "The current government has rightly prioritised investment in education but this report shows that the problem is even more deep-seated than previously thought."

European statistics from A to Z

2009-11-03T19:43:00.000Z

via Eurostat News releases

How much have infant mortality rates in the EU fallen since 1965?
In which fields are there the most PhD students and what is the split between men and women?
Which sectors have increased their importance in the EU economy in recent years?
What proportion of those employed in the EU have a second job?

The answers to these questions and to many more can be found in the 13th edition of the Eurostat yearbook, published by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities.

More ...

Hazel’s comment:
Serious data or, to be more precise, data on serious subjects, but also some which are the food for pub quizzes.

Culture, identity and information privacy in the age of digital government

2009-11-03T19:01:00.001Z

an article by Rowena Cullen published in Online Information Review Volume 33 Issue 3 (2009)

Abstract

Purpose
The emergence of digital government and the requirement for citizens to exchange information with government online have raised a number of issues related to personal information held by government. These include questions about the confidence of citizens concerning the security and privacy of information they provide to government, on- or offline, and whether different cultural attitudes to issues such as personal identity might impact on citizens’ attitudes towards privacy. This paper aims to investigate these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper reports and comments on the experiences and concerns of citizens in both New Zealand and Japan, based on focus groups and interviews. The New Zealand research included indigenous Maori, immigrant Pacific Islands groups and other ethnic communities.
Findings
Although all groups had concerns about information privacy, the nature of these concerns varied among the different groups interviewed and among individuals. Explanations of the attitudes and perceptions made in each group reflect cultural values and concepts of personal identity, and illustrate the importance of being aware of the differences between individualist and collectivist cultures.
Research limitations/implications
The research was based on a number of small studies, with limited numbers of participants. The findings would be strengthened by expanding the research to include larger numbers of participants.
Originality/value
The findings are significant to the development of policies for securing the confidentiality of citizens in the way government handles personal information in the online environment and in the ways in which these policies are communicated to citizens.

Hazel’s comment:
Before reading about this study I thought that everyone would be wary of central government organisations holding personal information and this is, to an extent, true but the level of wariness (not sure about that as a phrase but I’m sure you understand) varies quite considerably across different cultures.

University as vocational education: ...

2009-10-29T20:06:00.000Z

working-class students’ expectations for university

an article by Wolfgang Lehmann (The University of Western Ontario, Canada) published in
British Journal of Sociology of Education Volume 30 Issue 2 (March 2009)

Abstract

Labour market conditions, a pervasive public discourse about the benefits of higher education, and parental hopes push many young working-class people into university. The institutional culture and demands of university, however, often remain elusive and fraught with uncertainty. In this paper, I draw on qualitative interviews with first-generation, working-class students at a Canadian university to analyse the ways in which these students discuss their reasons to attend and their expectations for university, and the implications of their attitudes for their future success at university. Analysis of the interview data shows how the relatively high and risky investment of working-class youth in education leads to strong utilitarian and vocational orientations toward university. Although a narrow focus on the career potential of university is generally perceived as problematic, I argue that it may also help working-class students in their transition to university. Nonetheless, a critical educational process is necessary that not only helps working-class students achieve their educational and occupational goals, but also understand their unique status in a social institution that they entered as outsiders.

The Happenstance Learning Theory

2009-10-22T21:03:00.000+01:00

an article by John D Krumboltz (Stanford University) published in Journal of Career Assessment Volume 17 Number 2 (2009)

Abstract

What-you-should-be-when-you-grow-up need not and should not be planned in advance. Instead career counsellors should teach their clients the importance of engaging in a variety of interesting and beneficial activities, ascertaining their reactions, remaining alert to alternative opportunities, and learning skills for succeeding in each new activity.

Four propositions:

The goal of career counselling is to help clients learn to take actions to achieve more satisfying career and personal lives – not to make a single career decision.
Assessments are used to stimulate learning, not to match personal characteristics with occupational characteristics.
Clients learn to engage in exploratory actions as a way of generating beneficial unplanned events.
The success of counseling is assessed by what the client accomplishes in the real world outside the counselling session.

Tax Credits: help us to help you get it right

2009-10-04T19:55:00.002+01:00

A new 4-page (A5) leaflet (WTC10) from HMRC explaining that you have to tell HMRC when your circumstances change or you may build up an over/under-payment.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/wtc10.pdf

QCF readiness support programme opportunities

2009-10-02T11:41:00.003+01:00

via LSIS September e-Newsletter (30 September)

Is your organisation ready for the QCF?
All vocational qualifications will be accredited in the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) by the end of December 2010 and in preparation the QCF Readiness Support Programme is hosting two pan-regional QCF readiness conferences and has launched a new QCF Champions' Training Programme.

Career learning for the 21st century

2009-10-02T11:32:00.001+01:00

via LSIS September e-Newsletter (30 September)

LSIS has published a series of projects on Career Learning, Information, Advice and Guidance (CLIAG) for young people in FE for DCSF.

It became clear that how organisations deliver CLIAG effectively for young people and their organisation is an issue sector leaders need to address.

Read more

European Social Fund (ESF)

2009-10-02T09:40:00.000+01:00

Received from LSC this morning.

The LSC funds and manages programmes and contracts funded in part by the European Social Fund (ESF).

A consultation about the future direction of ESF is now open until 4 November 2009.

Below are some examples of how people have benefited from these programmes:
Creches for the community
Micah Gains Skills for Life
Totally Inclusive Education project

EVENT: Whither welfare-to-work? IES annual public employment policy conference 2009

2009-09-30T14:54:00.000+01:00

9-10 Portland Place
Oxford Circus
London W1B 1PR

12 November 2009
10.00am – 4.00pm
Public and private sector organisations : £130 + VAT
Registered charities : £80 + VAT

From 2008, receipt of out-of-work benefits was made conditional on completion of work-directed activities for virtually all claimants. However, circumstances have changed and the unemployment registers are now replete with people able and willing to work; people without inherent barriers to work and for whom the unavailability of jobs is the main problem. This conference will consider:
· How should welfare-to-work policies adjust to higher unemployment?
· Where will this leave harder-to-help groups?
· What lessons can be learned from previous economic cycles or from abroad?
· Looking ahead to years of austerity imposed by the public finances: where does welfare-to-work go from here?

EVENT: Moving towards the creation of the Skills Funding Agency

2009-09-30T14:49:00.000+01:00

Ufi
Dearing House
1 Young Street
Sheffield, S1 4UP

6 November 2009
Time: 2pm - 4pm
Cost: £99 plus VAT. Friends membership rate £89.10 plus VAT

Bobbie McClelland, Deputy Director, Post 19 at the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, will be setting out the legal position of the SFA and its functions as it becomes established in April 2010. Of particular importance will be the implications for learners, employers, colleges and providers.

Contact information:
Name: Karla McLaren
Email: kmclaren@cflearning.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7766 0010

EVENT: Increasing participation for young people: have we cracked the youth unemployment problem for 16-17 year olds?

2009-09-30T14:45:00.001+01:00

Campaign for Learning
19 Buckingham Street
London
WC2N 6EF
13 October 2009

Time: 2.30pm - 4.30pm
Cost: £99 plus VAT

Rob Wye, Director, Young Peoples Learning Agency, will be giving an update on the September guarantee for 16 and 17 year olds, the extent to which unemployment among 16-17 year olds will remain a problem, and the transfer of funding for 16-17 year old to local authorities. Tricia Hartley, Chief Executive of the Campaign for Learning, will chair the event. Following the presentation there will be plenty of opportunities for delegates to raise questions and discuss the issues.

Contact information:
Name: Karla McLaren
Email: kmclaren@cflearning.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7766 0010

Making Citizens in the Classroom: ...

2009-09-28T14:29:00.000+01:00

An Urban Geography of Citizenship Education?

an artilce by J Pykett published in Urban Studies Volume 46 Issue 4 (2009)

Abstract

This paper considers the construction of young people’s experiences in city schools through a new curriculum subject, Citizenship Education, in secondary schools in England. It demonstrates how citizen identities are constructed through discursive practices in the classroom and are shaped by geographies of education. The place-based identities formed within urban schools both reflect and refute the inequalities inherent in the selective education system which pertains in many UK cities today. A discussion of the urban context in which the research was undertaken is followed by an analysis of empirical research in two schools in and around Bristol, south-west England. This explores the ways in which particular place-based subjectivities are actively and knowingly enacted by teachers and pupils in the classroom through their talk about what constitutes the ideal citizen.

Getting educated about tax

2009-09-28T09:12:00.000+01:00

via NDS RSS

Full-time students pay income tax just like everybody else but research from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) reveals that more than half of the UK's 2.3 million university students don't realise this.

Read the full press release

On the economics of controlling an invasive plant: ...

2009-09-27T19:52:00.000+01:00

a stochastic analysis of a biological control agent

an article by Morteza Chalak, Arjan Ruijs and Ekko C Van Ierland in International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management Volume 11 Number 1/2/3 (2009)

Abstract

Invasive plants can cause significant problems in natural and agricultural ecosystems. It is recognised that biological agents may assist in controlling invasions, but due to stochastic effects of biological control, the biological agent may not be effective. In this article, we analyse to what extent the stochastic effects of a biological control agent affect the optimal choice of control strategies to deal with the invasion of the Californian thistle in New Zealand. A stochastic dynamic optimisation model is set up that derives the path and combination of control options that maximise the expected net present value of returns from a pasture. The analysis focuses on two situations: a deterministic case and a second case in which the effect of introducing the insect Apion onopordi to reduce thistle density is stochastic. Although one would expect that the stochastic specification would lead to different results, we show that the stochasticity of the efficacy of the insect in this specific setting does not affect the optimal control measure adopted compared to the deterministic case. It is also shown that chemicals can be replaced as a control option by more environmentally friendly control options at relatively low costs.

Hazel’s comment:
Knowing how many gardeners there are in the world I make no apologies for posting this abstract that I happened across.

(Re)Analysing Community Empowerment: ...

2009-09-27T18:54:00.000+01:00

Rationalities and Technologies of Government in Bristol's New Deal for Communities

an article by Julie MacLeavy (School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol) published in Urban Studies Volume 46 Number 4 (2009)

Abstract

Urban regeneration is increasingly framed around notions of community empowerment. Policy programmes seek to make communities visible and then strengthen and support them through the establishment of a leadership role in urban regeneration practices. At first glance, this appears to be a positive development. Yet commentators note how community partnerships – seen to invoke a “rolling back” of the state – are indicative of a particular economic logic that is governing urban policy provision. Partnerships, it is argued, constitute tokenistic organisations that do not represent the diversity of interests within a particular area. Instead, they work primarily in support of business or government agendas. This paper re-orientates this critique. Focusing on one example of a community-led urban regeneration programme – New Deal for Communities in Bristol – it explores the subjects and spaces to emerge in and through this new form of governance. By identifying the manner in which New Deal for Communities composes all participants as partnering subjects, it posits community engagement as the medium through which power is being reconstituted in extremely comprehensive ways. It then questions the possibilities for developing and sustaining alternative forms of collaborative practice.

Emotional journeys: young people and transitions to university

2009-09-27T10:59:00.002+01:00

an article by Hazel Christie (Edinburgh Napier University) published in British Journal of Sociology of Education Volume 30 Issue 2 (March 2009)

Abstract

This paper offers an interpretation of the role of emotions in understanding the transitions that young people make to university. I draw on qualitative research with a group of non-traditional students, entering élite universities, to argue that youth transitions are emotional as well instrumental affairs. I argue that choice-making processes incorporate both trust in, and fear of, the transitions infrastructure, and that these emotions infuse more instrumental judgements about the economic benefits of higher education. I also demonstrate that emotional aspects of class – including feelings of entitlement to education and the rejection of normative student identities – constitute the experience of “being” or “doing” a student. A broader understanding of how young people become university students then depends not just on developing a new identity but on the complex interaction between emotion and infrastructure.

Ten trivial (i.e non-work-related) items

2009-09-27T09:36:00.001+01:00

via Arts & Letters Daily – ideas, criticism, debate
Alberto Fujimori defeated evil in Peru. On the other hand, he used evil to accomplish it. Who is to judge? Whom to be judged? Theodore Dalrymple wonders... more

The Vivarium (via Blisstree » Arts & Crafts by Cyndi Lavin) is a treasure trove of digitised rare books, old manuscripts, art, photographs, and other objects of beauty and wonder, all made possible by two Benedictine communities in Minnesota: the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University. Some of the treasures are located in private collections, and The Vivarium was able to secure permission to photograph and document them for the use of scholars and artists in the future. The Ethiopian Manuscript collection is one of these: the manuscripts and scrolls are located in private collections all over North America. Gorgeous illustrated texts, pottery, Syriac manuscripts and artifacts… there's just amazing stuff in this collection, all available online.

Six-potato gatling gun via Boing Boing by Mark Frauenfelder
Here's a video and how-to for making your own potato six shooter. Family fun at its finest!
The Potato Gatling Gun

Ethics & Overuse of Cost-Free Resources via The Business Ethics Blog by Chris MacDonald
How much water does it take to make a latte? That's the question asked (and answered) in this cool little flash video from the World Wildlife Fund: How Much Water?. The answer: 200 litres (about 53 US gallons). That number is shocking, and it's intended to be. What the video points out is that each ingredient of the latte – from the milk, to the coffee beans, to the paper that makes up the cup – requires water to grow or manufacture it. But the video is a wonderful little piece of awareness-raising, and a good opportunity to highlight an economic concept that is crucial to understanding questions about sustainability.

via Arts & Letters Daily – ideas, criticism, debate
“I’ll scarcely be persuaded that anything good can come from Arabia,” said Petrarch. Little did he grasp the depth of Islamic thought... more ... more

Food ingredients with hard-to-pronounce names are perceived as scarier via Boing Boing by Cory Doctorow
Patrick sez, “I'm a neuroscientist and I've written up in lay-speak a really fascinating little study I came across recently. The gist of the research was thus: people were presented with the names of fictional chemical food additives and asked to judge which ones they thought were more ‘dangerous’. What they found was that the harder it was to pronounce, the riskier it was perceived.”

via Arts & Letters Daily – ideas, criticism, debate
Looking for real adventure? Then stay off Mount Everest, where Base Camp now offers hot showers, Web access, TVs, and fresh strawberries... more

via Arts & Letters Daily – ideas, criticism, debate
Literacy, the most empowering achievement of our civilisation, is to be replaced by a vague and ill-defined screen savvy. All in the name of progress... more

via Arts & Letters Daily – ideas, criticism, debate
W.H. Auden, E.M. Forster, William Empson, and Philip Larkin: four men who lived and died by, with, and for the English language. Steven Isenberg had lunch with them all... more

via Arts & Letters Daily – ideas, criticism, debate
The killer's blood was on the weapon, but a DNA search yielded nothing. Why not comb through DNA records to find the killer's relatives? Just might crack the case... more

Employment Outlook 2009 Country Notes: United Kingdom

2009-09-26T21:14:00.000+01:00

a recent publication from the OECD

Abstract

The recession is slowing or even ending in the United Kingdom as well as in other OECD countries. This being said, the average unemployment rate for the OECD area reached a post-war high of 8.5% in July and may approach 10% in the coming months.

Unemployment has risen about as sharply in the United Kingdom as it has in the OECD area as a whole. The 2.6 percentage-point increase in the UK unemployment rate between December 2007 and the second quarter of 2009 is nearly identical to the average rise for the OECD area (Figure 1). The recent upsurge in unemployment has been much sharper in several other countries where the banking and housing sectors also suffered strong reversals, in particular Spain, Ireland and the United States. By contrast, the rise in unemployment has been modest in a number of European countries, including large economies such as Germany and Italy.

Readers can access the full version of the OECD Employment Outlook 2009 by choosing from the following options:
Subscribers and readers at subscribing institutions can access the online edition via SourceOECD, our online library.
Non-subscribers can browse or purchase the PDF e-book and/or paper copy via our Online Bookshop or order it from your local distributor.

[American] Careers advice in 140 characters

2009-09-26T11:56:00.000+01:00

JT O’Donnell is the founder of CAREEREALISM.com, a site for career news and perspective for job seekers and young careerists, ages 18-40. Adding to the list of career services, O’Donnell devised The Twitter Advice Project or T.A.P., which would be a series of experts tweeting advice in response to questions posed by readers. All advice would appear in the @CAREEREALISM Twitter feed and users could easily see all the answers to specific questions.

“Can't be done,” said the experts. JT, as she is known, went ahead anyway and – it works.

I'm not sure how well it will work for UK users but some advice is globally applicable, some you have to do a bit of language translation (a resumé is a CV for example) and some is pure American.

Monitoring and Evaluating the Performance of the Labour Market in Scotland

2009-09-26T10:23:00.000+01:00

Working Paper 18 from the Centre for Public Policy for Regions by John Sutherland

Abstract

Given the Scottish Government’s decision to benchmark the performance of the labour market as one of the seven targets identified in its “Economic Strategy”, this paper examines how the performance of the labour market might best be monitored and evaluated. It recommends that, with some caution with regard to the need for frequent disaggregation. four indicators are used:

the activity (or participation) rate;
the employment rate;
the unemployment rate; and
the inactivity rate.

The paper proceeds to apply these four indicators to examine the performance of the labour market in Scotland over two periods: 1995-2005 and 2005 (third quarter) - 2007 (fourth quarter). For the latter period the performance of the labour market in Scotland is compared with that of the labour markets in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Finally, the paper employs two of these labour market performance indicators (the activity rate and the unemployment rate) to examine the Scottish Government’s “cohesion” aspiration.

PDF 35pp

Benefit Simplification

2009-09-26T09:01:00.000+01:00

A publication from the Centre for Policy Studies (August 2009) which I would argue is essential reading for anyone involved in careers guidance or job-search or people advice or .... You name it you'll probably find it useful. Not a short read at 81pp but my skim through it tells me that it will be worth the effort.

Free PDF here or purchase hard copy for £10.

Oh that “they” would. No more trudging from Jobcentre to council office to HMRC to DWP and back round the loop again – whether actually or virtually – and getting different answers from each point of call. Personal experience tells me that it has, over the years, cost me a lot of money!

The effective use of technology in personal knowledge management: ...

2009-09-25T22:50:00.000+01:00

A framework of skills, tools and user context

an article by by Raj Agnihotri and Marvin D Troutt published in Online Information Review Volume 33 Issue 2 (2009)

Abstract

Purpose
The objective of this paper is to further explore the emerging concept of personal knowledge management (PKM) and to bring researchers’ attention to this notion. Specifically, this paper aims to address issues related to the effective utilisation of technology in PKM practices.

Design/methodology/approach
A theoretical framework incorporating PKM skills, technology tools, user context and skills-tools fit is proposed. Arguments are built on the task-technology fit theory, which explores the link between technology tools and task characteristics (PKM skills).

Findings
The impact of effective PKM will depend increasingly on skills-tools fit.

Practical implications
The success of technology utilisation resides not simply in whether individuals use technology, but if this usage actually improves effectiveness. For their own benefit, individuals should consider and assess the technology tools in the context of how they will be aligned with specific PKM skills.

Originality/value
Proposing a conceptual framework of PKM, this paper suggests that the core focus is individual inquest, that is, the effort to discover, share, learn and explore through combinations of technology and information skills. The importance of the user's context in the PKM process is also discussed.

Urban Regeneration: ...

2009-09-25T09:20:00.000+01:00

From the Arts “Feel Good” Factor to the Cultural Economy: A Case Study of Hoxton, London

an article by A C Pratt (London School of Economics) published in Urban Studies Volume 46 Number 5-6 (2009)

Abstract

This paper seeks to examine critically the role of culture in the continued development, or regeneration, of “post-industrial” cities. First, it is critical of instrumental conceptions of culture with regard to urban regeneration. Secondly, it is critical of the adequacy of the conceptual framework of the “post-industrial city” (and the “service sector”) as a basis for the understanding and explanation of the rise of cultural industries in cities. The paper is based upon a case study of the transformation of a classic, and in policy debates a seminal, “cultural quarter”: Hoxton Square, North London. Hoxton, and many areas like it, are commonly presented as derelict parts of cities which many claim have, through a magical injection of culture, been transformed into dynamic destinations. The paper suggests a more complex and multifaceted causality based upon a robust concept of the cultural industries as industry rather than as consumption.

Hazel’s comment:
If you want to know more about Hoxton then there is a good (in my opinion) article on Wikipedia (where else?) here. Recommended as time-waster for those interested in history!