The Open University (OU) offers Professional Doctorates (PD) in Education and Health and Social C... more The Open University (OU) offers Professional Doctorates (PD) in Education and Health and Social Care. Since our students study remotely, except for annual residential weekends when they meet face-to-face, the programme team expected little disruptions from the implementation of social distancing measures enforced in educational settings due to COVID-19. In this case study of the PD programme at the OU managing the pandemic we focus on the impact of social distancing restrictions preventing PD researchers from meeting face-to-face. We examine the ways the Programme Leaders reconfigured the PD programme to develop opportunities for social presence. We focussed on the cohort who started their doctorate in October 2020, amidst the pandemic. Using an online questionnaire and focus group discussion we explored their perceptions of social presence
Prospero - International Prospective register of Systematic Reviews, 2020
The Open University's repository of research publications and other research outputs What is the ... more The Open University's repository of research publications and other research outputs What is the early mobility of female doctoral holders, what types and subjects were their doctoral degrees in and what is the reported impact of early career mobility on physical and mental health and well-being of female doctoral holders? A systematic review Other How to cite: Vseteckova, Jitka; Álvarez, Inma and Horackova, Clare (2020). What is the early mobility of female doctoral holders, what types and subjects were their doctoral degrees in and what is the reported impact of early career mobility on physical and mental health and well-being of female doctoral holders? A systematic review. Prospero-International Prospective register of Systematic Reviews. For guidance on citations see FAQs.
The Researching Professional Development Framework (RPDF) is an online reflective resource that s... more The Researching Professional Development Framework (RPDF) is an online reflective resource that supports the development of students on a professional doctorate (PD) programme. The framework has been designed from empirical research undertaken with students enrolled in a Doctorate in Education (EdD) and graduates with such a degree. The resource prompts students to reflect on their own development as researchers. Following a successful pilot with EdD year one students, the resource is now being introduced in PD programmes across the Open University (OU) in the UK.
This article reports on the findings of a pioneering study of formal, non-formal and informal lan... more This article reports on the findings of a pioneering study of formal, non-formal and informal language learning experiences of postgraduate research students in the UK. The research involved a large-scale survey followed by semi-structured interviews. Quantitative and qualitative data analysis shows that the language needs and interests of postgraduate students are barely met due to limited institutional provision of formal language learning opportunities. The study confirms some known facts, such as the composition of the student body (e.g. mostly young, fully-funded full-time students with a significant proportion of international students), and reveals other possibly less-known realities, from a remarkable interest in language learning among research students to the reasons for their interest and the potential impact greater access to language learning could have on their research and beyond. Half of the respondents reported having funded provision of language tuition but one third were not even aware of the existence of a Language Centre at their institution. Student suggestions for alternative language provision are included as these can inform policy and decision-making at postgraduate level in the UK and serve as a basis for further research in this area.
It is no longer necessary to argue for the integration of a cultural dimension in foreign languag... more It is no longer necessary to argue for the integration of a cultural dimension in foreign language learning. In the past few decades, theoretical pedagogical approaches in the field of language acquisition have consolidated the intimate link between these two educational dimensions, although effective practices are still in the process of being developed. Intercultural competence has become integral to the languages curriculum. It has been defined in a number of ways but it is commonly accepted as involving knowledge, skills and attitudes, all of which are tinted with values that ‘are part of one’s social identities’ (Byram, Gribkova, and Starkey, 2002: 11). In particular the more precise concept of ‘intercultural communicative competence’, coined by Michael Byram (1997), with its emphasis on cultural mediation and intercultural speakers, has dominated much discussion about communication in foreign language teaching.
Foreign language pedagogy has been permeated with theories of intercultural communication. The in... more Foreign language pedagogy has been permeated with theories of intercultural communication. The incorporation of an intercultural dimension not only has dissipated the contours of the discipline but it has also transformed the nature of language education. This contribution is an attempt to elucidate the implications of the new intercultural paradigms for language teachers' roles and responsibilities. It will examine, in particular, the extent to which European teachers are translating the intercultural theory into practice, ie ...
Foreign language degree programmes have been engaged, more than ever, in an active dialogue with ... more Foreign language degree programmes have been engaged, more than ever, in an active dialogue with other disciplines (ethnography, anthropology, business, the arts among others) in an attempt to enrich their methodologies and content of the subject. In addition, these programmes have started to be delivered in innovative ICT-based environments, which have served as well as new means of communication in both local and international settings. These recent developments have enhanced the foreign language learning ...
Research on the connections between drama and language learning is not new, and interest in the p... more Research on the connections between drama and language learning is not new, and interest in the potential collaboration between these fields has increased in the last four decades. However, studies have mostly focused on students’ experiences and the type of drama activities that could be incorporated in their language class, neglecting key aspects of the specific skills language teachers might need and how these could be developed. Most language teachers have no training in drama, and often the inclusion of drama activities in the language classroom is dependent on the specific interest and experience of the individual teacher, rather than an expected component of the foreign language training programme. This paper will be reporting on an experimental approach to training in-service language teachers through drama for professional and personal development. As part of a Grundtvig Lifelong Learning European project entitled “Performing languages”, experienced language teachers at Hig...
El trabajo presentado en esta tesis aborda cuestiones filosóficas fundamentales que surgen en el ... more El trabajo presentado en esta tesis aborda cuestiones filosóficas fundamentales que surgen en el proceso de registro de la danza. Estas cuestiones son introducidas llamando la atención sobre lo decisivo de un estudio de las posibilidades de movimiento del cuerpo humano para el éxito de dicho registro. La filosofía actual se ha preguntado, desde distintos puntos de vista, la razón del poco interés que ha suscitado la movilidad del cuerpo humano. En particular, se ha extrañado de que ni siquiera los estudios de tipo estético hayan considerado el movimiento de carácter dancístico. Uno de los objetivos de mi investigación es estudiar cómo han sido recogidas y comentadas estas incógnitas por algunos filósofos de la danza de hoy en día. La concepción que tengamos de la danza condiciona directamente el surgimiento y desarrollo de su registro. A su vez, la práctica registradora nos obliga a revisar nuestro entendimiento de la danza. El simbolismo, en particular, ha conseguido arraigarse con...
About the book: Language learning strategies have been a topic of research for roughy three decad... more About the book: Language learning strategies have been a topic of research for roughy three decades. Broadly speaking, that research has focused on classroom tuition, predominantly at secondary level. Incresingly, however, langauge learning occurs in independent settings, whether at a distance on Instituion-Wide Language programmes (IWLPs), or in virutal environments. Success in independent langauge learning is achieved by autonomous individuals with a capacity for self-regulation. Yet we still know relatively little about the specific means they use to learn effectively, whether in terms of the affective strategies they employ to sustain motivation, the metacognitive strateiges required for planning, monitoring and evaluating their learning, or the specific cognitive strategies applied to difficult learning tasks, This volume discusses and evaluates these methods and addresses key issues for independent learners.
The Open University (OU) offers Professional Doctorates (PD) in Education and Health and Social C... more The Open University (OU) offers Professional Doctorates (PD) in Education and Health and Social Care. Since our students study remotely, except for annual residential weekends when they meet face-to-face, the programme team expected little disruptions from the implementation of social distancing measures enforced in educational settings due to COVID-19. In this case study of the PD programme at the OU managing the pandemic we focus on the impact of social distancing restrictions preventing PD researchers from meeting face-to-face. We examine the ways the Programme Leaders reconfigured the PD programme to develop opportunities for social presence. We focussed on the cohort who started their doctorate in October 2020, amidst the pandemic. Using an online questionnaire and focus group discussion we explored their perceptions of social presence
Prospero - International Prospective register of Systematic Reviews, 2020
The Open University's repository of research publications and other research outputs What is the ... more The Open University's repository of research publications and other research outputs What is the early mobility of female doctoral holders, what types and subjects were their doctoral degrees in and what is the reported impact of early career mobility on physical and mental health and well-being of female doctoral holders? A systematic review Other How to cite: Vseteckova, Jitka; Álvarez, Inma and Horackova, Clare (2020). What is the early mobility of female doctoral holders, what types and subjects were their doctoral degrees in and what is the reported impact of early career mobility on physical and mental health and well-being of female doctoral holders? A systematic review. Prospero-International Prospective register of Systematic Reviews. For guidance on citations see FAQs.
The Researching Professional Development Framework (RPDF) is an online reflective resource that s... more The Researching Professional Development Framework (RPDF) is an online reflective resource that supports the development of students on a professional doctorate (PD) programme. The framework has been designed from empirical research undertaken with students enrolled in a Doctorate in Education (EdD) and graduates with such a degree. The resource prompts students to reflect on their own development as researchers. Following a successful pilot with EdD year one students, the resource is now being introduced in PD programmes across the Open University (OU) in the UK.
This article reports on the findings of a pioneering study of formal, non-formal and informal lan... more This article reports on the findings of a pioneering study of formal, non-formal and informal language learning experiences of postgraduate research students in the UK. The research involved a large-scale survey followed by semi-structured interviews. Quantitative and qualitative data analysis shows that the language needs and interests of postgraduate students are barely met due to limited institutional provision of formal language learning opportunities. The study confirms some known facts, such as the composition of the student body (e.g. mostly young, fully-funded full-time students with a significant proportion of international students), and reveals other possibly less-known realities, from a remarkable interest in language learning among research students to the reasons for their interest and the potential impact greater access to language learning could have on their research and beyond. Half of the respondents reported having funded provision of language tuition but one third were not even aware of the existence of a Language Centre at their institution. Student suggestions for alternative language provision are included as these can inform policy and decision-making at postgraduate level in the UK and serve as a basis for further research in this area.
It is no longer necessary to argue for the integration of a cultural dimension in foreign languag... more It is no longer necessary to argue for the integration of a cultural dimension in foreign language learning. In the past few decades, theoretical pedagogical approaches in the field of language acquisition have consolidated the intimate link between these two educational dimensions, although effective practices are still in the process of being developed. Intercultural competence has become integral to the languages curriculum. It has been defined in a number of ways but it is commonly accepted as involving knowledge, skills and attitudes, all of which are tinted with values that ‘are part of one’s social identities’ (Byram, Gribkova, and Starkey, 2002: 11). In particular the more precise concept of ‘intercultural communicative competence’, coined by Michael Byram (1997), with its emphasis on cultural mediation and intercultural speakers, has dominated much discussion about communication in foreign language teaching.
Foreign language pedagogy has been permeated with theories of intercultural communication. The in... more Foreign language pedagogy has been permeated with theories of intercultural communication. The incorporation of an intercultural dimension not only has dissipated the contours of the discipline but it has also transformed the nature of language education. This contribution is an attempt to elucidate the implications of the new intercultural paradigms for language teachers' roles and responsibilities. It will examine, in particular, the extent to which European teachers are translating the intercultural theory into practice, ie ...
Foreign language degree programmes have been engaged, more than ever, in an active dialogue with ... more Foreign language degree programmes have been engaged, more than ever, in an active dialogue with other disciplines (ethnography, anthropology, business, the arts among others) in an attempt to enrich their methodologies and content of the subject. In addition, these programmes have started to be delivered in innovative ICT-based environments, which have served as well as new means of communication in both local and international settings. These recent developments have enhanced the foreign language learning ...
Research on the connections between drama and language learning is not new, and interest in the p... more Research on the connections between drama and language learning is not new, and interest in the potential collaboration between these fields has increased in the last four decades. However, studies have mostly focused on students’ experiences and the type of drama activities that could be incorporated in their language class, neglecting key aspects of the specific skills language teachers might need and how these could be developed. Most language teachers have no training in drama, and often the inclusion of drama activities in the language classroom is dependent on the specific interest and experience of the individual teacher, rather than an expected component of the foreign language training programme. This paper will be reporting on an experimental approach to training in-service language teachers through drama for professional and personal development. As part of a Grundtvig Lifelong Learning European project entitled “Performing languages”, experienced language teachers at Hig...
El trabajo presentado en esta tesis aborda cuestiones filosóficas fundamentales que surgen en el ... more El trabajo presentado en esta tesis aborda cuestiones filosóficas fundamentales que surgen en el proceso de registro de la danza. Estas cuestiones son introducidas llamando la atención sobre lo decisivo de un estudio de las posibilidades de movimiento del cuerpo humano para el éxito de dicho registro. La filosofía actual se ha preguntado, desde distintos puntos de vista, la razón del poco interés que ha suscitado la movilidad del cuerpo humano. En particular, se ha extrañado de que ni siquiera los estudios de tipo estético hayan considerado el movimiento de carácter dancístico. Uno de los objetivos de mi investigación es estudiar cómo han sido recogidas y comentadas estas incógnitas por algunos filósofos de la danza de hoy en día. La concepción que tengamos de la danza condiciona directamente el surgimiento y desarrollo de su registro. A su vez, la práctica registradora nos obliga a revisar nuestro entendimiento de la danza. El simbolismo, en particular, ha conseguido arraigarse con...
About the book: Language learning strategies have been a topic of research for roughy three decad... more About the book: Language learning strategies have been a topic of research for roughy three decades. Broadly speaking, that research has focused on classroom tuition, predominantly at secondary level. Incresingly, however, langauge learning occurs in independent settings, whether at a distance on Instituion-Wide Language programmes (IWLPs), or in virutal environments. Success in independent langauge learning is achieved by autonomous individuals with a capacity for self-regulation. Yet we still know relatively little about the specific means they use to learn effectively, whether in terms of the affective strategies they employ to sustain motivation, the metacognitive strateiges required for planning, monitoring and evaluating their learning, or the specific cognitive strategies applied to difficult learning tasks, This volume discusses and evaluates these methods and addresses key issues for independent learners.
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