Educational Research

All Knowledge Universe programmes are guided by the latest developments in educational research.

Rapid social, economic, cultural and technological changes have challenged traditional social norms surrounding the family, health, welfare and educational institutions and, subsequently, the ways in which individuals learn and conduct their lives. 

Knowledge Universe academics analyse key trends in education research from an international standpoint, with a view to identifying opportunities for the introduction of new education practices that will help learners adapt to these societal changes.

Importantly, there is an emphasis on the development of an intellectually and theoretically coherent approach that will assist individuals in the pursuit of lifelong learning.

Contributors:

Download	Articles	Author(s)
	The efficacy of final examinations: A comparative study of closed-book, invigilated exams and open-book, open-web exams Educators have long debated the usefulness (or otherwise) of final examinations; a debate that has typically revolved around the relative merits of closed-book exams, open-book exams, take-home exams or their substitution by some other assessment format (eg, project work).	Jeremy B. Williams and Amy Wong
	Assertion-reason multiple-choice testing as a tool for deep learning: a qualitative analysis  This paper reflects on the ongoing debate surrounding the usefulness (or otherwise) of multiple-choice questions (MCQ) as an assessment instrument. The context is a graduate school of business in Australia where an experiment was conducted to investigate the use of assertion-reason questions (ARQ), a sophisticated form of MCQ that aims to encourage higher-order thinking on the part of the student.	Jeremy B. Williams
	Exploring the use of blogs as learning spaces in higher education sector This paper explores the potential of blogs as learning spaces for students in the higher education sector. It refers to the nascent literature on the subject, explores methods for using blogs for educational purposes in university courses (eg. Harvard Law School), and records the experience of the Brisbane Graduate School of Business at Queensland University of Technology, with its 'MBA blog'. The paper concludes that blogging has the potential to be a transformational technology for teaching and learning.	Jeremy B. Williams and Joanne Jacobs
	No Child Left Behind: A Debate Like it or not, NCLB is a complicated and far-reaching piece of legislation that will have a considerable impact on American K-12 education for the next decade or more.	Chester E. Finn, Jr.
	Structure of China's Education System China's Ministry of Education provides an overview of China's education system, including early childhood, K-12, universities and adult education.
	The Human Capital Opportunity Nothing is more important for our future than education because it touches on just about everything we value as individuals, citizens and productive human beings.
	Pre-K: Shaping the System That Shapes Children Manhattan Institute for Policy Research Developing stronger early childhood education programmes should be based on the competitive model of U.S. higher-learning institutions.	Stephen Goldsmith and Rhonda Meyer
	Finding and Funding 'Cure' for Ailing Schools Innovation in U.S. public schools is needed if student performance is going to rise.	Nina Rees
	MIA on SES Supplemental educational services (SES) is a key provision of the No Child Left Behind Act in the United States, but to be most effective it needs to expand parental choice.	Nina Rees
	Achieving Quality in Pre-Kindergarten Classrooms Presented at The Pew Seminar, Hechinger Institute	Dr Elanna Yalow
	The Productivity Argument for Investing in Young Children 2000 Nobel Laureate In Economics Early environments play a large role in shaping later outcomes.	James J. Heckman
	Strategies to Recruit, Reward and Retain Teachers Introductory Remarks, National Governors Association, 97th Annual Meeting Chairman, Milken Family Foundation Attracting, developing, motivating and retaining outstanding teachers requires four key elements: Multiple Career Paths; Ongoing Applied Professional Growth; Instructionally Focused Accountability; and Performance-based compensation.	Lowell Milken Chairman, Milken Family Foundation
	The New Economics of Preschool For the Early Childhood Funders' Collaborative New findings, methods and strategies for increasing economic investments in early care and education.	Dana E. Friedman, Ed.D.
	Overview of Education in Arab States UNESCO overview of participation, funding and gender issues in K-12 and university education in Arab nations.
	Education is the Answer Educators can do much to advance our children's potential by providing a rigorous education experience, preparing young people for gainful and gratifying work, and developing virtues of character. High academic standards and education technology are critical.	Lowell Milken Chairman, Milken Family Foundation
	Human Capital Defined 1992 Nobel Laureate in Economics In the 21st century, human capital has become more important because economics, companies and jobs are increasingly based on knowledge activities rather than physical labour or raw materials. Knowledge and skills that once lasted a lifetime now need to be updated every three to four years - or sooner.	Gary Becker, University of Chicago

If you would like to contribute to our body of knowledge, we will be glad to share useful research papers or articles on this site.

Please contact the Knowledge Universe Academic Team