This study investigates the role of the e-tutor within an Open Distance Learning Higher Education institution in terms of perceptions of their work roles and the assessment of the competencies of the e-tutor. In the universities' strategic plan the importance of providing excellent service to learners is strongly emphasised. E-tutors are the…

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) show deficits in reporting others' emotions (Lartseva et al. in Front Hum Neurosci 8:991, 2015) and in deriving meaning in social contexts (Klin et al. in Handbook of autism and pervasive developmental disorders, Wiley, Hoboken, 2005). However, researchers often use stimuli that conflate salient…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the benefits of peer massage for primary school children. A short peer massage routine was taught to pupils in five schools and evaluation was carried out to assess the impact that the process had on the pupils' well-being, empathy, social skills and confidence. The impact of the intervention was measured…

The current administration of the United States has brought to the forefront the hostile sociopolitical climate found within this diverse country as "Americans" continue to grapple with the intentional, residual effects of the systemic maintenance of oppression. The purpose of this study is to understand the perceptions of climate in the…

This article reports on a pedagogical intervention in foreign language teaching in higher education. It analizes the competences developed by Argentinian and UK-based students as they used Skype to design a leaflet that addressed a real world issue: the Argentinian military dictatorship and its manipulation of the 1978 Football World Cup. The data…

This is a case study of a one-year arts educational project 'I -- from dreams to reality' in which artists worked at school with teachers and learning at the school was planned through arts-based, co-operative teamwork during one extra school year of 10th grade students in Finnish basic education. The theme of the year was 'I', and so the project…

There are populations of musicians who demonstrate considerable success-making music in formal school music ensembles and also in their own rock, digital, and ethnic groups in the larger musical community. We suggest helpful insights into the phenomenon of switching between various ways of being musical can be gleaned from the linguistic theory of…

The article examines issues related to peer interactions and group joining in upper secondary schools in Finland. The study elaborates on how young people describe students who are left out/excluded or who remain outside the social networks. The study also elucidates on how a student can join the group. The research is motivated by the current…

Data from children with ASD who are learning Indo-European languages indicate that (a) they vary hugely in their expressive language skills and (b) their pragmatic/socially-based language is more impaired than their structural language. We investigate whether similar patterns of language development exist for Mandarin-exposed children with ASD.…

Present research studies the impact of variables such as inclusion, exclusion, residence, socioeconomic status, gender and parental education on digital competences among student populations in Kosovo (N = 303). The findings reveal that in accordance with international literature inclusion and exclusion in academic settings predict levels of…

"Partners Advancing Childhood Education" ("PACE") is an Investing in Innovation (i3) development grant funded by the Office of Innovation and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education. "PACE" is a family engagement program that enhances family engagement skills among educators and leadership skills among parents to…

Students are increasingly choosing online studies due to the flexibility, accessibility and cost savings. Employers have not been as receptive and when hiring, will often choose a face-to-face graduate over an online graduate. If online graduates cannot overcome negative attitudes they may not be hired and employers may overlook qualified…

Since the late 1980s, standards for students and teachers began to be the focus of education, creating demands and pressures on school leaders to become more than managers of a school. This change of focus expanded to include principals and required school leaders to possess instructional leadership qualities beyond managerial skills. In 2010, the…

In the United States, broad study in an array of different disciplines--arts, humanities, science, mathematics, engineering--as well as an in-depth study within a special area of interest, have been defining characteristics of a higher education. But over time, in-depth study in a major discipline has come to dominate the curricula at many…

The health care field has become increasingly more complex, requiring new nurses to be prepared upon graduation to respond to a variety of complex situations. Unfortunately, many graduates from associate degree nursing (ADN) programs are not able to think critically upon entering the work force. This presents a major problem for the nurse and for…