From Lending To Learning

From Lending to Learning provides a theoretical overview and practical guide to the functional area of delivering learning services within public libraries. It traces the development of public library service delivery and critically appraises the inherent tension between offering an educational-focused or leisure-focused library. The current and future policy directions are explored against the backdrop of the emerging learning society. A general overview of recent developments in learning theory is followed by an insight into the learning landscape. The issues and practicalities of setting up a learning environment within a public library are dealt with in a clear and straightforward fashion. The book concludes with an assessment of the emerging web 2.0 technologies and gives an insight into how the whole area of social networking might shape the future. Combines a practical approach with an accessible theoretical underpinning Written in an entertaining and highly readable style Identifies the key phases involved in establishing a public library learning service

Based on detailed analysis of thousands of confidential World Bank documents, this book demonstrates that the World Bank lies at the centre of the major changes in global education of our time. It outlines the evolution of World Bank lending policies in education, and assesses the policy impact of the Bank's educational projects, looking at how it has: shaped the economic and social policies of many governments, including policies that affect education been an influential proponent of the rapid expansion of formal education systems around the world, financing much of that expansion been instrumental in forging those policies that see education as a precursor to modernisation served as a major purveyor of Western ideas about how education and the economy are, or should be, related. Following on from the success of the first edition, this revised edition covers topical issues of globalisation and looks into the political debate concerning aid to developing countries. It will be of enormous value to those studying, or working in, educational policy in developing countries, international organisations and financial institutions, and aid agencies.

Two decades of World Bank lending for education teach that flexibility, community involvement, and adaption of programs to local conditions are some of the critical elements of successful education programs.

This book identifies important economic barriers to expanded investment in lifelong learning, describes outlines financial strategies for addressing them, and reviews recent experience with various co-financing schemes. Country-by-country reports are included.

The phenomenon of "travelling reforms" has become an object of great professional interest and intensive academic scrutiny. The fact that the same set of educational reforms is transferred from one country to another made scholars wonder whether policy transfer has increased as a result of globalization. But also the fact that policy makers increasingly import "best practices "and international standards and use them as a tool to accelerate reform has captured the imagination of many that deal with policy studies. An international comparative perspective is key for understanding why reforms travel from one corner of the world to another. Not surprisingly, the study of policy borrowing and lending constitutes one of the core research topics of comparative policy studies; a new area of research that links comparative education with policy studies. The World Yearbook of Education 2012 brings together a diverse range of perspectives on education policy through contributions from internationally renowned authors. It reflects on the way policy borrowing and lending is reconfiguring the world of education and offers a new collection of insights into the changes occurring across the world. It particularly focuses on: The political and economic reasons for policy borrowing, The agencies, international networks and regimes that instigate policy change, The process of borrowing and lending The impact of these systems, agendas and institutions on indigenous settings. This book will prove invaluable to researchers of globalization and to policy experts, especially those interested in comparative and international educational studies. It is also essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students and anyone involved in the sociology, economy or history of education. Gita Steiner-Khamsi is Professor of Comparative and International Education at Teachers College Columbia University, New York, US. Florian Waldow is Research Director at the University of Münster, Germany.

This document explores the feasibility of loans to support English adults engaging in lifelong learning. The following topics are considered: (1) the policy context (loans in higher education, individual learning accounts, and education maintenance allowances); (2) the need for financial support; (3) attitudes toward loans; (3) financial advice, financial literacy, and knowledge about the impact of debt; (4) the returns on investment in academic and vocational learning; and (5) the costs of participation. The following conclusions are reached: (1) it seems unlikely that loans will have any role in supporting students under the age of 19; (2) it is doubtful whether loans should play a significant role in supporting learners to access programs below level 3; (3) for programs at level 3 or above, the evidence about returns on investment suggests that borrowing to finance learning could be to an individual's benefit; (4) current fees in public sector part-time courses are well below the rate at which potential students seem to look to formal loan arrangements; and (5) loans would be most likely to contribute to lifelong learning in circumstances where a combination of fees and other participation costs is substantial and the program offers the prospect of high returns to students. (MN)

Like the first edition, the second edition of Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work helps educators close the knowing-doing gap as they transform their schools into professional learning communities (PLCs).