Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to delineate an approach to quality assurance in education called networked improvement communities (NICs) that focused on integrating the methodologies of improvement science with few of the networks. Quality improvement, the science and practice of continuously improving programs, practices, processes,…

There are increasing demands on universities to develop more meaningful linkages with local communities--from government, from citizens and taxpayers, and from students. But the incorporation of community-oriented praxis into the university mission is not straightforward and requires a significant re-orientation away from "traditional"…

As geography program has been discussed with the constructivist approach, it has become necessary to enhance the lessons with activities. Geography teachers implement the activities in course books, on the one hand, and also use the activities other teachers prepared or the activities in social network websites, on the other. However, what is more…

This ethnographic case story aims to illuminate the instructional practices and decisions of an exemplary ballet teacher, Minna Stenvall at the Finnish National Opera Ballet School. Minna is considered to be exemplary in her field because she received the Best Ballet Pedagogue Award in 2014. Spurred on by the literature on the significant role…

Are children competent producing anatomy cross-sections? To answer this question, we carried out a case study research aimed at testing graphic production skills in anatomy of nutrition. The graphics produced by 118 children in the final year of primary education were analysed. The children had to draw a diagram of a human cross section,…

Policies and programs to address higher education disadvantage reveal four distinct approaches, each revealing certain assumptions about the nature of educational disadvantage. These are: creating mass higher education systems; redistributing or allocating certain places to disadvantaged students; changing the cultural practices of institutions;…

Reflective case narratives are a practical mechanism for conveying lessons learned for practice improvement. Their ability to transform experience into knowledge in a colloquial, narrative style positions reflective case narratives as a powerful learning tool with pedagogical benefits for the evaluation community. However, one criticism of…

Assessing student learning outcomes and determining achievement of the Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (IPCEP) Core Competency of Values/Ethics in a generic pre-professional Bachelor of Science in Health Science (BSHS) program is challenging. A course level Student Learning Outcome (SLO) is: "….articulate the impact of personal…

In an academic world driven by student ratings and publication counts, faculty members are discouraged from exploring new pedagogical ideas because exploration takes time and often goes unrecognized. The contrast with research is striking: everyone is expected to explore and innovate in research, whereas very few make exploration in teaching their…

In this article we propose a case selection strategy for comparative studies of school improvement. The strategy is based on two assumptions. First, we emphasize the importance of a strategic selection of cases (schools), which allows systematic comparisons between successful and failing schools. We claim that cases should be selected on the…

This article examines the meaning of the word "inclusion" as it relates to Catholic identity in higher education. Noting the widespread presence of this value in the mission statements of Catholic colleges, the article draws on insights from Aristotelian logic and Pope Francis's theology of encounter to argue that inclusion can only be…

Universal design is a concept in design that addresses the usability of products and spaces that meet the needs of the most people possible. Principles guide the design process for various spaces and products. The Center for Real Life Design at Virginia Tech renovated two kitchens that incorporated many universal design features. The Universal…

In recent years, the possibilities and pitfalls of qualitative secondary analysis have been the subject of on-going academic debate, contextualised by the growing availability of qualitative data in digital archives and the increasing interest of funding councils in the value of data re-use. This article contributes to, and extends these…

The subject of school discipline is one of the most critical issues facing our educational system. Disruptive student behavior interrupts teaching and learning processes and if not effectively addressed, it can manifest itself in other areas in a child's life, leading to more serious behaviors which may eventually lead to criminal involvement,…

This dissertation as an exploratory study examines the characteristics of the students of a charter school participating in a partnership with a university located in an improving low socioeconomic environment in the northeastern U.S., which has been dedicated to providing educational opportunities to the underserved. This dissertation also…