Institutions of education, and the system of which they are a part, face
a host of unprecedented challenges from forces in society that affect
and are influenced by these very institutions and their communities of
learners and educators. Among these forces are sweeping demographic
changes, shrinking provincial budgets, revolutionary advances in
information and telecommunication technologies, globalization,
competition from new educational providers, market pressures to shape
educational and scholarly practices toward profit-driven ends, and
increasing demands and pressures for fundamental changes in public
policy and public accountability relative to the role of higher
education in addressing pressing issues of communities and the society
at large. Anyone of these challenges would be significant on their own,
but collectively they increase the complexity and difficulty for
education to sustain or advance the fundamental work of serving the
public good.
Through a forum on education, we can agree to:
Strengthening the relationship between higher education and society will
require a broad-based effort that encompasses all of education, not
just individual institutions, departments and associations.
Piecemeal
solutions can only go so far; strategies for change must be informed by
a shared vision and a set of common objectives. A "movement" approach
for change holds greater promise for transforming academic culture than
the prevailing "organizational" approach.
Mobilizing change
will require strategic alliances, networks, and partnerships with a
broad range of stakeholders within and beyond education.
The
Common Agenda is specifically designed to support a "movement" approach
to change by encouraging the emergence of strategic alliances among
individuals and organizations who care about the role of higher
education in advancing the ideals of a diverse democratic system through
education practices, relationships and service to society.
A Common Agenda
The
Common Agenda is intended to be a "living" document and an open process
that guides collective action and learning among committed partners
within and outside of higher education. As a living document, the Common
Agenda is a collection of focused activity aimed at advancing civic,
social, and cultural roles in society. This collaboratively created,
implemented, and focused Common Agenda respects the diversity of
activity and programmatic foci of individuals, institutions, and
networks, as well as recognizes the common interests of the whole. As an
open process, the Common Agenda is a structure for connecting work and
relationships around common interests focusing on the academic role in
serving society. Various modes of aliening and amplifying the common
work within and beyond education will be provided within the Common
Agenda process.
This approach is understandably ambitious and
unique in its purpose and application. Ultimately, the Common Agenda
challenges the system of higher education, and those who view education
as vital to addressing society's pressing issues, to act deliberately,
collectively, and clearly on an evolving and significant set of
commitments to society. Currently, four broad issue areas are shaping
the focus of the Common Agenda: 1) Building public understanding and
support for our civic mission and actions; 2) Cultivating networks and
partnerships; 3) Infusing and reinforcing the value of civic
responsibility into the culture of higher education institutions; and 4)
Embedding civic engagement and social responsibility in the structure
of the education system
VISION We have a vision of higher
education that nurtures individual prosperity, institutional
responsiveness and inclusively, and societal health by promoting and
practicing learning, scholarship, and engagement that respects public
needs. Our universities are proactive and responsive to pressing social,
ethical, and economic problems facing our communities and greater
society. Our students are people of integrity who embrace diversity and
are socially responsible and civilly engaged throughout their lives.
MISSION
The purpose of the Common Agenda is to provide a framework for
organizing, guiding and communicating the values and practices of
education relative to its civic, social and economic commitments to a
diverse democratic system.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
I
believe social justice, ethics, educational equity, and societal change
for positive effects are fundamental to the work of higher education. We
consider the relationship between communities and education
institutions to be based on the values of equally, respect and
reciprocity, and the work in education to be interdependent with the
other institutions and individuals in society.
We will seek and
rely on extensive partnerships with all types of institutions and
devoted individuals inside and outside of higher education.
We
realize the interconnection of politics, power and privilege. The Common
Agenda is not for higher education to self-serve, but to "walk the
talk" relative to espoused public goals. We understand the Common Agenda
as a dynamic living document, and expect the activities it encompasses
to change over time.
THE COMMON AGENDA FRAMEWORK The general
framework for the common agenda is represented in the following diagram.
It is clear that while goals and action items are organized and aliened
within certain issues areas, there is considerable overlap and
complementarity among the issues, goals and action items. Also,
following each action item are names of individuals who committed to
serve as "point persons" for that particular item. A list of "point
persons," with their organizational affiliation(s) is included with the
common agenda.
ISSUES
ISSUE 1: MISSION AND ACTIONS
Public
understanding more and more equates higher education benefits with
acquiring a "good job" and receiving "higher salaries." To understand
and support the full benefits of higher education the public and higher
education leaders need to engage in critical and honest discussions
about the role of higher education in society. Goal: Develop a common
language that resonates both inside and outside the institution. Action
Items: Develop a common language and themes about our academic role and
responsibility to the public good, through discussions with a broader
public.
Collect scholarship on public good, examine themes and
identify remaining questions. Develop a national awareness of the
importance of higher education for the public good through the
development of marketing efforts.
Goal: Promote effective and
broader discourse. Action Items: Raise public awareness about the
institutional diversity within and between higher education
institutions.
Identify strategies for engaging alumni
associations for articulating public good and building bridges between
higher education and the various private and public sector companies.
Develop guidelines of discourse to improve the quality of dialogued on
every level of society. Organize a series of civil dialogued with
various public sectors about higher education and the public good.
ISSUE 2: DEVELOPING NETWORKS AND PARTNERSHIPS
Approaching
complex issues such as the role of higher education in society that
requires a broad mix of partners to create strategies and actions that
encompass multiple valued perspectives and experiences.
Broad
partnerships to strengthen the relationship between higher education and
society involves working strategically with those within and outside of
higher education to achieve mutual goals on behalf of the public good.
Goal: Create broad and dispersed communication systems and processes.
Action Items:
Create
an information and resource network across higher education
associations Create information processes that announce relevant
conferences, recruit presenters and encourage presentations in
appropriate national conferences Develop opportunities for information
sharing and learning within and between various types of postsecondary
institutions (e.g. research-centered communities).
Goal: Create and support strategic alliances and diverse collaborations.
Action
Items: Establish and support on-going partnerships and collaborations
between higher education associations and the external community (e.g.
civic organizations, legislators, community members) Explore with the
public how to employ the role of arts in advancing higher education for
the public good Promote collaboration between higher education and to
address access, retention, and graduation concerns
ISSUE 3: INSTILLING AND REINFORCING THE VALUE OF CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY INTO THE CULTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
Education
should attend to the implicit and explicit consequences of its work,
and reexamine "what counts" to integrate research, teaching and service
for the public good to the core working of the institution.
Goal: Emphasize civic skills and leadership development in the curriculum and co-curriculum.
Action
Items: Develop and implement a curriculum in colleges and universities
that promote civic engagement of students Create co-curricular student
and community programs for leadership and civic engagement development
Develop learning opportunities, inside and outside of the classroom,
that promote liberty, democratic responsibility, social justice and
knowledge of the economic system Develop student leadership and service
opportunities that focus on ethical behavior Teach graduate students
organizing and networking skills, and encourage student leadership and
Diversity education
Goal: Foster a deeper commitment to the public good.
Action
Items: Work with faculty on communication skills and languages to
describe their engagement with the public, and educate faculty for the
common good Identify models for promotion and tenure standards Identify
models for faculty development
Goal: Identify, recognize, and support engaged scholarship.
Action
Items: Identify and disseminate models and exemplars of scholarship on
the public good Encourage the participation in community research Help
institutions call attention to exemplary outreach. Establish a capacity
building effort for institutions
Goal: Bring graduate education into alignment with the civic mission.
Action
Items: Work with disciplinary associations to hold dialogued on ways
graduate student training can incorporate public engagement, involvement
and service Promote "civic engagement" within academic and professional
disciplines according to the disciplines' definition of "civic
engagement" Incorporate the concept of higher education for the public
good into current graduate education reform efforts
ISSUE 4: EMBEDDING CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN THE STRUCTURE OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM
Promoting
the public benefits of higher education requires system efforts beyond
institutions to intentionally embed values of civic engagement and
social responsibility in governance practices, policy decisions, and
educational processes.
Goal: Align governing structures and administrative strategies.
Action
Items: Develop ways to improve student and the community involvement in
the governance and decision making process of educational institutions.
Identify and promote ways for institutions to improve involvement with
the public and the practice of democracy within their own institution.
Establish public good/civic engagement units that orchestrate this work
throughout institutions.
Goal: Publicly recognize and support valuable engagement work.
Action
Items: Offer public awards that reward institutions with demonstrable
track record in serving the public good in order to encourage
institutionalization of performance around the public good and civic
engagement.
Develop a comprehensive inventory of funding
sources, association activities, initiatives, and exemplary practices
that advance the public good. Identify, recognize, and support early
career scholars who choose to do research on higher education and its
public role in society.
Goal: Ensure that assessment and accreditation processes include civic engagement and social responsibility.
Action
Items: Identify service for the public good as a key component in
provincial and federal educational plans (e.g. Master Plans, provincial
budgets, and professional associations).
Bring higher education
associations and legislators together to broaden current definition of
student outcomes and achievement, and develop a plan for assessment.
Develop
strategies and processes to refocus system-wide planning, accreditation
and evaluation agendas to consider criteria assessing the social,
public benefits of education.
Goal: Cultivate stronger ties between the university, federal and provincial government.
Action
Items: Develop a 2-year implementation plan that joins the university
rector / Pro-rector and Director with provincial legislators to engage
in an assessment of the needs of the public by province Host a series of
dialogued between trustees and provincial legislators to discuss the
role of universities and public policy in advancing public good at a
local, provincial, and national level.
Ms. Ashcan Salem
Senior Lecturer
Bahia University
Karachi
Sabtu, 23 November 2013
Rabu, 06 November 2013
School Facilities Maintenance: How Using a Building Maintenance Programme Can Help
Maintaining schools is vital both in terms of ensuring that all
students and teachers have a comfortable environment conducive to
learning as well as in financial terms. School facilities maintenance
strategies play an important role in the school's overall effectiveness,
safety, and financial well-being. With much at stake, school facilities
maintenance should never be left to chance. But where should you begin?
Facilities Maintenance Strategy Development
If your school lacks a maintenance strategy, start by developing one. Preventative maintenance can extend the useful life of buildings, heating and air conditioning systems, electrical systems, playground equipment, and more, making it important to adopt a proactive approach to facilities maintenance. Not only should your team be equipped and empowered to respond promptly to issues, they should also be empowered to do so proactively.
As you develop your strategy, you may find yourself, or others on your team, questioning the need for prioritising preventative building maintenance. Keep these key points in mind and stress them as often as necessary:
Identify and include stakeholders in the process.
In addition to developing a facilities maintenance strategy that stresses preventative maintenance and supports the school's goal of providing a safe, comfortable environment for students and staff, it's smart to invest in a building maintenance program me. Software is commonly used to automate essential tasks in virtually every other field. Today, specialized software does the same for facilities maintenance. Using a building maintenance programme, you can schedule work, assign work, track assets, manage inventory, document service, and much more.
Using your maintenance strategy as a framework, you can configure your building maintenance programme to support your efforts. For example, if you've identified best practices for maintaining your school's HVAC system, configure your software to support those best practices. This may mean setting up an automatic schedule of preventative maintenance or requiring technicians to follow a specific checklist when performing an inspection or repair. You can do something similar for each asset under your care.
In addition to automating preventative maintenance, your building maintenance programme can also help you to quantify the value that your maintenance strategy brings to the school. For example, when it's time to purchase new equipment, you could run reliability reports and calculate the total cost of ownership for equipment the school has owned in the past to help make a smarter buying decision.
If you're responsible for a school's facilities maintenance, you play an important role in the school's long-term success. Create a proactive maintenance plan and use a building maintenance programme to make that plan a reality.
Facilities Maintenance Strategy Development
If your school lacks a maintenance strategy, start by developing one. Preventative maintenance can extend the useful life of buildings, heating and air conditioning systems, electrical systems, playground equipment, and more, making it important to adopt a proactive approach to facilities maintenance. Not only should your team be equipped and empowered to respond promptly to issues, they should also be empowered to do so proactively.
As you develop your strategy, you may find yourself, or others on your team, questioning the need for prioritising preventative building maintenance. Keep these key points in mind and stress them as often as necessary:
- Facilities maintenance saves money.
- Well maintained equipment and buildings last longer; thus, replacement costs decrease over time.
- Increased system efficiency reduces energy costs.
- Fewer large-scale repairs are required which means lower renovation costs over time.
- A proactive response means fewer unexpected problems.
- A proactive facilities maintenance program supports the school's goals of providing a clean, comfortable, and safe environment.
Identify and include stakeholders in the process.
- Conduct a school facilities audit so that you know exactly what you have under your care.
- Identify needs.
- Set priorities and milestones.
- Create a budget
- Train your staff.
- Implement your plan.
- Document your work.
- Review and revise your plan annually.
In addition to developing a facilities maintenance strategy that stresses preventative maintenance and supports the school's goal of providing a safe, comfortable environment for students and staff, it's smart to invest in a building maintenance program me. Software is commonly used to automate essential tasks in virtually every other field. Today, specialized software does the same for facilities maintenance. Using a building maintenance programme, you can schedule work, assign work, track assets, manage inventory, document service, and much more.
Using your maintenance strategy as a framework, you can configure your building maintenance programme to support your efforts. For example, if you've identified best practices for maintaining your school's HVAC system, configure your software to support those best practices. This may mean setting up an automatic schedule of preventative maintenance or requiring technicians to follow a specific checklist when performing an inspection or repair. You can do something similar for each asset under your care.
In addition to automating preventative maintenance, your building maintenance programme can also help you to quantify the value that your maintenance strategy brings to the school. For example, when it's time to purchase new equipment, you could run reliability reports and calculate the total cost of ownership for equipment the school has owned in the past to help make a smarter buying decision.
If you're responsible for a school's facilities maintenance, you play an important role in the school's long-term success. Create a proactive maintenance plan and use a building maintenance programme to make that plan a reality.
Martin Beckett
is an experienced freelance business writer and maintenance manager
based in London. He has worked with many facilities maintenance
companies but found the building maintenance software by eMaint EU was much more practical for his company. For more questions, feel free to connect with him over at Google+.
Jumat, 01 November 2013
The Psychology of Education
On the need for an individualistic educational psychology emphasizing on the central role of the learner
Education and psychology are related in more than just one way and the psychology of education could be related to educational principles in psychology or how education as a discipline is taught within psychology as a subject and how these two disciplines merge. This is primarily the focus of educational psychology which studies how human learning occurs, what ways of teaching are most effective, what different methods should be used to teach gifted or disabled children and how principles of psychology could help in the study of schools as social systems.
Psychological education would be completely focused on learning methods as structured or imparted according to psychological and individual needs of the students. Education would differ according to culture, values, attitudes, social systems, mindset and all these factors are important in the study of education in psychology.
Educational psychology is the application of psychological objectives within educational systems and psychological education as I distinguish here is application of educational objectives in psychological processes. The first focus of using psychology in education is more general and the second approach of using education in psychology is more individualistic. However as far as present study of educational approach to psychology is concerned, there is no difference between individualistic educational psychology and general educational psychology and all interrelationships between psychology and education are considered within the broad discipline of educational psychology.
However a distinction between the more general educational psychology and more specific psychological or individualistic education could help in understanding the nuances of individualistic study and give a subjective dimension to the study of psychology in education. This could also help in making learning systems more student based and according to the needs of culture, society, individual or personal factors. This sort of study with a focus on personal/psychological aspects of learning is not just about social objectives and objectives within educational systems but also about personal goals and objectives and the psychological processes involved in learning. There has to be a clearer demarcation between education in psychology as a general study and individualistic education in psychology as a more specific and subjective discipline.
As of now educational psychology encompasses a wide range of issues and topics including the use of technology and its relation to psychology, learning techniques and instructional design. It also considers the social, cognitive, behavioral dimensions of learning but it would be necessary to make education more personal and individualistic through a special branch with a psychological focus on education so that individual needs are considered. There could be two ways in which this branch of knowledge could evolve - either by strengthening psychological education or individualistic approach to the psychology of education or by having two distinct branches of general educational psychology and individualistic educational psychology.
As in client centered approach to psychology, a psychology of education should also include further research that would highlight the need for individualistic dimensions in learning. Learning psychology is the use of psychological theories for example that of Jean Piaget and Kohler in the study of learning techniques, especially among children. I have already discussed Piaget but briefly Piaget's theory highlights different stages of learning in children and Kohler suggested that learning occurs by sudden comprehension or understanding, however I will not go further into learning theories here. Whereas the focus of educational psychology is on learning techniques per se and the role of the learner is considered only secondary, a branch of individualistic psychology in education could help in emphasizing the role of the learner considering not just their disabilities or giftedness but also their personality patterns. This focus on personality patterns brings out the central role of understanding psychology in educational systems.
Educational psychology studies both the personal approaches to education as in giftedness, disability, learning theories applied to children and adults, and the more general objective approaches to learning as the role of schools as social or cultural systems.
The psychology of education could include the following branches:
General Educational Psychology
1. Learning Systems - As studied from individualistic learning perspectives and generalized learning perspectives, a discussion of the different theories, practices and systems or techniques of learning is an integral part of educational psychology and especially central to general educational psychology.
2. Social Systems - The use of education in social, cultural and economic systems could be considered within the psychological context and this relates to the role of education in society.
Individualistic Educational Psychology
1. Learning Systems - Learning techniques and systems or methods will have to be in accordance with the needs of the children or adult participants and according to skills of the teachers. Needs vary according to personal traits and abilities and individual needs will have to be considered during the learning process.
2. Social Systems - Individual learning psychology will have to be studied according to specific social and cultural backgrounds of the learners and thus a more subjective study of learning approaches and centralized role of the individual in the learning process considering their social, cultural or intellectual background will have to be considered.
Reflections in Psychology - Part II - Saber Roy (2010)
[http://www.saberiroy.com]
Saber Roy - Books
http://saberiroy.tripod.com/books
Education and psychology are related in more than just one way and the psychology of education could be related to educational principles in psychology or how education as a discipline is taught within psychology as a subject and how these two disciplines merge. This is primarily the focus of educational psychology which studies how human learning occurs, what ways of teaching are most effective, what different methods should be used to teach gifted or disabled children and how principles of psychology could help in the study of schools as social systems.
Psychological education would be completely focused on learning methods as structured or imparted according to psychological and individual needs of the students. Education would differ according to culture, values, attitudes, social systems, mindset and all these factors are important in the study of education in psychology.
Educational psychology is the application of psychological objectives within educational systems and psychological education as I distinguish here is application of educational objectives in psychological processes. The first focus of using psychology in education is more general and the second approach of using education in psychology is more individualistic. However as far as present study of educational approach to psychology is concerned, there is no difference between individualistic educational psychology and general educational psychology and all interrelationships between psychology and education are considered within the broad discipline of educational psychology.
However a distinction between the more general educational psychology and more specific psychological or individualistic education could help in understanding the nuances of individualistic study and give a subjective dimension to the study of psychology in education. This could also help in making learning systems more student based and according to the needs of culture, society, individual or personal factors. This sort of study with a focus on personal/psychological aspects of learning is not just about social objectives and objectives within educational systems but also about personal goals and objectives and the psychological processes involved in learning. There has to be a clearer demarcation between education in psychology as a general study and individualistic education in psychology as a more specific and subjective discipline.
As of now educational psychology encompasses a wide range of issues and topics including the use of technology and its relation to psychology, learning techniques and instructional design. It also considers the social, cognitive, behavioral dimensions of learning but it would be necessary to make education more personal and individualistic through a special branch with a psychological focus on education so that individual needs are considered. There could be two ways in which this branch of knowledge could evolve - either by strengthening psychological education or individualistic approach to the psychology of education or by having two distinct branches of general educational psychology and individualistic educational psychology.
As in client centered approach to psychology, a psychology of education should also include further research that would highlight the need for individualistic dimensions in learning. Learning psychology is the use of psychological theories for example that of Jean Piaget and Kohler in the study of learning techniques, especially among children. I have already discussed Piaget but briefly Piaget's theory highlights different stages of learning in children and Kohler suggested that learning occurs by sudden comprehension or understanding, however I will not go further into learning theories here. Whereas the focus of educational psychology is on learning techniques per se and the role of the learner is considered only secondary, a branch of individualistic psychology in education could help in emphasizing the role of the learner considering not just their disabilities or giftedness but also their personality patterns. This focus on personality patterns brings out the central role of understanding psychology in educational systems.
Educational psychology studies both the personal approaches to education as in giftedness, disability, learning theories applied to children and adults, and the more general objective approaches to learning as the role of schools as social or cultural systems.
The psychology of education could include the following branches:
General Educational Psychology
1. Learning Systems - As studied from individualistic learning perspectives and generalized learning perspectives, a discussion of the different theories, practices and systems or techniques of learning is an integral part of educational psychology and especially central to general educational psychology.
2. Social Systems - The use of education in social, cultural and economic systems could be considered within the psychological context and this relates to the role of education in society.
Individualistic Educational Psychology
1. Learning Systems - Learning techniques and systems or methods will have to be in accordance with the needs of the children or adult participants and according to skills of the teachers. Needs vary according to personal traits and abilities and individual needs will have to be considered during the learning process.
2. Social Systems - Individual learning psychology will have to be studied according to specific social and cultural backgrounds of the learners and thus a more subjective study of learning approaches and centralized role of the individual in the learning process considering their social, cultural or intellectual background will have to be considered.
Reflections in Psychology - Part II - Saber Roy (2010)
[http://www.saberiroy.com]
Saber Roy - Books
http://saberiroy.tripod.com/books
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