Infection control enabling and assessing teaching Essay

Infection control enabling and assessing teaching - Essay Example Therefore, educational knowledge or nursing knowledge is integrated practical knowledge (Stake, R., 1977, p. 121-124). Life-long Learning: Life-long education is not a new concept, but the rapidly changing social conditions of the contemporary society has provided a wider impetus for a wider acceptance of this idea, and the adult educators have been a major force in drawing attention to the practice of life-long learning. To assess learning, the educator utilizes a wide range of methods for evaluating pupil performance and attainment. These include formal testing and examinations, practical and oral assessments, and classroom based assessment. Theoretically, there are three types of assessments. Formative assessment takes place during the course of the teaching and is used essentially to feed back into the teaching or learning process. Summative assessment takes place at the end of the term or a course and is used to provide information about how much the students have learned and how well as course has worked. Ipsative assessment is the third and the most important category in which the pupil evalu ates his/her performance against his/her previous performance (Wilkinson, W. J. and George, N. J., 1982, p. 222-235). This indicates that the process of assessment is undergoing a shift in the paradigm from psychometrics to a broader model of educational assessment and from the culture of testing and examination to the culture of assessment. There is a wider range of assessments that are in use now. These include teacher assessment, standard tasks, coursework, records of achievement, practical and oral assessments mentioned earlier, written examinations, and standardized tests. There are criterion-referenced, formative, and performance-based assessments as well as norm-referenced testing. The consequent high-profile status of assessment is mainly due to the fact that assessment is required to achieve a wide range of purposes (Carr, W., and Kemmis, S., 1986, p. 86-94). The assessment process is mainly designed to support teaching and learning; it would provide information about pupil s, teachers, and schools. In this way, assessment would drive curriculum and teaching and act as a selection and certification device and as an accountability procedure (Briton, D., 1996, p 101-102). Adult learning theory has been strongly influenced by humanistic psychology, although there is no single theory that represents the humanistic approach. All such theories share a common view that this approach involves the study of a man as a human being, with his thoughts, feelings, and experiences (Brookfield, S., 1985, p. 23-28). This is in direct contrast to the stimulus-response theories, which study man from the point of view of overt behaviour, disregarding his inner feelings and experiences. Humanistic theories differ from cognitive theory in that the latter is concerned with the thinking aspects of a man's behaviour with little emphasis on the affective components. Humanistic theory is closely related to the philosophical approach called phenomenology, which asserts that reality lies in a person's perception of an event and not in the event itself. This also underpins three other concepts,

Definition of Common Law Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Definition of Common Law - Term Paper Example The name "common law" is also used to refer to the conventional and long established, precedent-based element in the law of any common-law jurisdiction, as disparate to its statutory law or legislation. As well it the term common law is also used to signify that part of the legal system that did not develop out of equity, maritime law, or other special branches of practice. (Eldon) In addition to England, common law is practiced in all of Canada except Quebec and all of the United States except Louisiana. All of these areas follow common law and U.S. state statutes usually provide that the common law, equity, and statutes in effect in England in 1603, the first year of the reign of James I, shall be deemed part of the law of the jurisdiction. (Homes) Decisions of the English courts that were made later only have persuasive authority. There are particular characteristics and features of common law that distinguish it from other types of law. The one feature that distinguishes common law is the fact that it represents the law of the courts as expressed in judicial decisions. "The grounds for deciding cases are found in precedents provided by past decisions, as contrasted to the civil law system, which is based on statutes and prescribed texts." (Holmes) In addition, the system of judicial precedents, other characteristics of common law include trial by jury and the doctrine of the supremacy of the law. In the beginning, the supremacy of the law meant that not even the king was above the law; however today it can be translated as meaning that acts of governmental agencies are subject to scrutiny in ordinary legal proceedings. Judicial precedents gain their force from the doctrine of stare decisis [Lat., =stand by the decided matter], i.e., that the previous decisions of the highest court in the jurisdiction are binding on all other courts in the jurisdiction. (Holmes) However, in the when conditions change they make most decisions inapplicable except as a basis for an analogy, and a court must consequently frequently look to the judicial experience of the rest of the English-speaking world. "This gives the system flexibility, while general acceptance of certain authoritative materials provides a degree of stability." (Eldon) On the other hand in many occurrences, the courts have failed to keep speed with social developments. As a result of this, it has become necessary to enact statutes to bring about needed changes. Without a doubt in recent years statutes have superseded a great deal of common law. This is especially true in the fields of commercial, administrative, and criminal law. Characteristically, however, in statutory interpretation, the courts have recourse to the doctrines of common law. (Eldon) In consequence increased legislation has limited but has not ended judicial supremacy. Â