1.2.4 Checklist of common features Is there any on-line help? Can I do a simple search? Can I look at the information in both short and detailed form? Can I choose where in the record I want my search terms to be found? Can I search for phrases? Can I combine search terms? Can I use truncation? Can I use wildcards? Can I do an advanced search? Can I get a list
1 The politics of devolution This unit examines the politics of devolution and the relationships between the various nations that constitute the UK. It does so by examining the transformation of the UK from a centralised unitary state into a decentralised unitary state. (If you want a quick summary of the terms of devolution, you will find one in Section 5.5.) The uni
Introduction This unit is from our archive and it is an adapted extract from Data, computing and information (M150) which is no longer in presentation. If you wish to study formally at The Open University, you may wish to explore the courses we offer in this curriculum area. Computers are used to find, store, process and share data and information. The World Wide Web is an example
5.2 Technique 2: Relaxation Here are three relaxation techniques, which you can use before and during the exam.
9.2 What is reflection? Is reflection different to just thinking about your study? And how do we do it? Can someone teach you how to reflect or is it a matter of practice? Can everyone be reflective or are some students - and some people - more reflective than others? There is no clear definition of reflection or precise way of describing what we mean by a reflective learner. But we can discuss some characteristics of the process, and encourage you to develop your own preferred ways of developing it. Ref
7.3 Review the whole process Before you file away your assignment and return to your current study, spend a little time reviewing the whole process of preparing, exploring, implementing and reviewing your assignment. Review what you did and how you did it in each of the four phases. Trying to identify just one thing that went well and one thing that you could have done differently can help you in your future study. Remember that your review should focus on the process of the preparation
8 Analysis, argument and critical thinking In this section, we are going to look in detail at analysis and argument. Analytical thinking is a particular type of higher order thinking central to much academic activity. It is concerned with examining 'methodically and in detail the constitution or structure of something' (Oxford English Dictionary). This includes looking at variables, factors, and relationships between things, as well as examining ideas and problems, and detecting and analysing arguments. Many essay questions require ar
Introduction Requires that Windows desktop be used in parallel with reading the book. Tables and charts are a great way to present numerical information in a clear and concise form. This unit explains how to use the Windows calculator to carry out basic operations and calculate percentages. You will then learn how to use charts and tables to represent and interpret information.T This unit is an adapted extract from the Open University course Author(s):
Open University Courses The Open University (OU) has a number of short courses that introduce you to computing, online learning and the internet. You can check out these OU course options on the Courses and Qualifications website at (accessed 8 November 2006). Among them are: TU120: Beyond Google: Working with information online
7.1 Introduction If you want to improve your computing skills or knowledge, there are plenty of resources available to help you. This section aims to get your search started by providing you with some useful websites.
3.2 Behavioural approaches Behavioural therapies are based on principles of classical conditioning and operant conditioning (the latter being more properly referred to as behaviour modification therapy). Operant conditioning is about the presentation of a reinforcement being dependent (contingent) on the appearance of a given behaviour. Based on this idea, Skinner (1953) suggested that sometimes ‘abnormal’ behaviour is the result of bad contingency management, where inappropriate behaviours have been
2.5.1 Highly unsaturated fatty acids As we saw in Section 1, ‘medical’ approaches to some psychological conditions have focused on biochemistry and the use of corresponding drug treatments. Very little research of this kind has been applied to dyslexia. However, emerging evidence suggests that there may be a biochemical contribution involving abnormal metabolism of highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) – essential substances that play a key role in brain development and the maintenance of normal brain function. In f
2.1 An evidence-based enterprise We have seen that psychology is an evidence-based enterprise and we have also seen that disputes about what should count as evidence have had an important impact on the development of psychology as a discipline. For example, the rise of behaviourism was driven by the idea that only observable behaviour is legitimate data for psychology because only data that can be observed by others, and agreed upon, can be objective. Many other disciplines have had less trouble with this issue
1.1 Introduction This online tutorial is designed to help you familiarise yourself with the software package SPSS and learn about basic statistics. You will need to follow the instructions within each activity in the sequence presented to complete the unit. Some activities have questions, whilst others will encourage you to explore the various software options. All are designed to help you think about how SPSS works and how to carry out some basic statistical work. All the required work for this u
3 Direction – find your inspiration Bringing history to life, filming field trips, creating a video montage of class – the ways in which you can incorporate DV into your lessons are endless and limited only by your imagination. Your project must have clear objectives and outcomes. Start by asking yourself: ‘Is the use of video going to enhance the lesson or is it just going to transform what could be a good lesson into a technical disaster?’ This question will be driven by the learning outcomes and objectives of the
2 Assessing the current situation ‘Success depends as much on the quality of the planning as on the specific content of the plan’; Creese (1995) Change is constant in education. Effective forward planning will take account of all the known different factors, positive or negative, that might impact upon the school over the period of time that the plan is intended to cover. Some of these will be internal to the school, ot
Introduction School governors do not work in isolation. This unit will help you to understand how planning for school improvement must take into account the wider education system including government initiatives and the LEA education development plan. You will learn to use techniques such at SWOT and STEEPE to assist in the process of forming a plan for your school.
1 The importance of school governors I wouldn't have accepted the job if I didn't think that the governors understood their role. (A secondary headteacher) In March 2004, the DfES stated that school governors represented one per cent of the adult population, and constitute the single biggest volunteer force nationally. However, doing the job voluntarily does not mean that governors should aim to do it less than professionally!
4 Effective governance Effective teams have clear, agreed and common goals – their members must all be pulling in the same direction. (Creese and Earley (1999)) The DfES, LAs and a number of authors have set out their own definitions of the elements that make a governing body effective. They have generally included the following: having a sound knowledge of the school;
2.4 Clerk The governing body must appoint a Clerk, who should not be a member of the governing body. It is also advisable not to use a member of staff, if possible, to avoid any potential conflict of interest. While some governing bodies use their Clerk solely as a minute taker, the prime function of the Clerk is to convene meetings and perform all the administrative tasks required. Good clerking requires specialist skills, and the governing body will probably want to reflect this in an adequate level
