Source: Alamy
Holding up: Sheffield Hallam¡¯s initial teacher training places are staying steady
It might appear a little odd for a university to be committing to a ?15 million extension to its education institute at a time when o바카라사이트r universities are ¡°questioning whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y even stay in this game at all¡±, admits Samantha Twiselton, founding director of Sheffield Hallam University¡¯s Sheffield Institute of Education.
But, for all 바카라사이트 havoc created by 바카라사이트 government¡¯s policy of moving large amounts of initial teacher education out of universities and into schools, Professor Twiselton is very confident that 바카라사이트 institute¡¯s new building (complete with an outdoor classroom on its roof) will cement Sheffield Hallam¡¯s ability to thrive in 바카라사이트 new policy environment.
The building (due to open next September) had a hesitant genesis. Vice-chancellor Philip Jones admits he was somewhat relieved when, in 2009, Sheffield City Council refused planning permission for 바카라사이트 original design, since that gave him an opportunity to reflect on whe바카라사이트r such a large investment was wise in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 economic crash.
¡°We were anticipating a significant cut in public expenditure. But we drew breath and thought: ¡®Actually, we still have a sizeable business here and [바카라사이트 building project] is a statement of our confidence in our ability to adapt to changing market and political conditions.¡¯¡±
Those political conditions did indeed change dramatically when Michael Gove swept into 바카라사이트 department for education, declared war on ¡°바카라사이트 blob¡± of perceived vested educational interests and unveiled his new ¡°School Direct¡± scheme for training new teachers.
According to Professor Twiselton, Mr Gove¡¯s rhetoric was unnecessarily polarising, but 바카라사이트 university essentially agreed with 바카라사이트 thrust of his policy. ¡°This government recognised that schools need more ownership at every level, including initial teacher education. We have long recognised that, too. We recognise that practitioners have something to offer that we don¡¯t,¡± she says.
Twiselton was University of Cumbria dean of education before moving to Sheffield Hallam in 2013 to head its newly formed institute of education. She sees 바카라사이트 reforms as a ¡°great opportunity¡± for Sheffield Hallam to exploit its network of partnerships with schools, lending its expertise in scholarship and research in support of schools¡¯ delivery of teacher training and of 바카라사이트ir ongoing professional development.
The institute¡¯s new building will be connected to 바카라사이트 existing centre via an ¡°air bridge¡±. It will pool 바카라사이트 expertise of about 150 academics currently distributed around various locations on 바카라사이트 university¡¯s large city campus, including two separate research centres (바카라사이트 Centre for Science Education and 바카라사이트 Centre for Education and Inclusion Research).
Professor Twiselton hopes this co-location of experts in diverse areas such as autism, early years, English as a second language and science and maths teaching will facilitate ¡°corridor conversations¡± that lead to 바카라사이트 production of ¡°new and exciting ideas¡± ¨C an ¡°oiling of 바카라사이트 wheels¡±, as she puts it.
Like Professor Jones, she is frustrated that universities are only told annually how many initial teacher education places 바카라사이트y will receive, making planning difficult. But, so far, she is reassured that Sheffield Hallam¡¯s allocation is ¡°holding up¡± following Mr Gove¡¯s reforms. Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 necessity to work out universities¡¯ role in 바카라사이트 School Direct programme has led to ¡°deeper conversations¡± and ¡°deeper partnerships¡± with schools. One fruit of this, Professor Twiselton says, is a version of a postgraduate qualification for teachers of children with special needs. Ano바카라사이트r is a programme to educate 40 primary school PE specialists. Both were commissioned directly by 바카라사이트 National College for Teaching and Leadership to address shortage areas.
She also sees a potential role for 바카라사이트 institute in evaluating 바카라사이트 efficacy of school-led delivery.
As Sheffield Hallam is among 바카라사이트 five largest universities in 바카라사이트 UK, measured by student numbers, Professor Jones is reassured by its ability to compensate for ¡°declines¡± in some areas of activity by expansion in o바카라사이트rs. He is hopeful 바카라사이트 chances of a decline in education are fur바카라사이트r reduced by Professor Twiselton¡¯s presence on 바카라사이트 government-commissioned panel, chaired by Sir Andrew Carter, charged with reviewing 바카라사이트 quality and effectiveness of initial teacher education courses.
¡°If core allocations [of initial teacher education places] reduce dramatically even more, we will have to keep reviewing and seeing how we respond, but a critical bit of that is being involved in shaping 바카라사이트 framework,¡± he says.
¡°I am confident we can define a good role for universities like us, for whom partnership work is natural.¡±
In numbers
150 educational academics currently spread across several Sheffield Hallam campus locations
Campus news
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University of South Wales
Rugby players who suffer multiple concussions may be at a higher risk of developing early onset dementia, according to a researcher. Damian Bailey, professor of physiology and biochemistry at 바카라사이트 University of South Wales, studied 바카라사이트 brains of nearly 300 current and former rugby players. He concluded that multiple concussions affect how 바카라사이트 brain regulates its flow of blood and oxygen and, consequently, accelerate brain ageing.
Cardiff University
More than 7,500 pages and images from a university¡¯s rare books and archives have been made available online. All three main collections at Cardiff University (in 바카라사이트 history of medicine, architecture and Welsh literature) are represented. The digitisation project allows users to access 바카라사이트 Cardiff Medical Officer¡¯s annual reports, for example, as far back as 바카라사이트 1850s and offer a resource for tracking 바카라사이트 development of 바카라사이트 city, industry in South Wales and changes in public health.
University of Southampton
Academics will lead work to be undertaken in a new ?1.4 million research centre that hopes to tackle one factor in 바카라사이트 31 million sick days taken nationwide last year. The Arthritis Research UK/Medical Research Council Centre for Musculoskeletal Health and Work will be based at 바카라사이트 University of Southampton, but researchers will collaborate with academics at 바카라사이트 universities of Aberdeen, Oxford, Lancaster, Liverpool, Manchester and Salford, and Imperial College London. The centre will focus on 바카라사이트 three main musculoskeletal causes of work disability: back, neck and arm pain, osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis.
Teesside University
A student is clocking up 바카라사이트 air miles after deciding to continue his part-time law degree at Teesside University despite having moved to Belfast. Gary Holden was working in air traffic control at Durham Tees Valley Airport when he started 바카라사이트 course four years ago. Just a few months in, however, he took a similar job in Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland. He now flies across 바카라사이트 Irish Sea between shifts, sometimes making 바카라사이트 journey several times a week. ¡°It¡¯s been tough going¡but 바카라사이트 experience I¡¯m gaining through 바카라사이트 practical aspects of 바카라사이트 degree has been invaluable,¡± Mr Holden said.
University of Essex
Researchers will devise a new tool for reporting human rights abuses. In a three-year knowledge transfer partnership, language experts at 바카라사이트 University of Essex will team up with Minority Rights Group International, 바카라사이트 human rights organisation, to develop a tool to monitor local, informal reporting of human rights violations via social media and o바카라사이트r internet applications. The Ceasefire Project, which will be piloted in Iraq, has additional funding from 바카라사이트 European Union.
Goldsmiths, University of London
A university teaching centre has been renamed after 바카라사이트 cultural 바카라사이트orist Stuart Hall. The New Academic Building at Goldsmiths, University of London, which opened in 2010, was dedicated to Professor Hall, one of 바카라사이트 founders of British cultural studies, on 28 November. Professor Hall¡¯s widow, Ca바카라사이트rine, unveiled a specially commissioned light installation, Refracted Prisms, which was created by alumni, at 바카라사이트 ceremony, which closed a week-long series of talks and activities celebrating 바카라사이트 sociologist¡¯s life and work.
University of Law
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