School Improvement Capacity – A Review and a Reconceptualization from the Perspectives of Educational Effectiveness and Educational Policy

It is argued that the field of school improvement (SI) has developed rapidly over the last 30 years, but that it needs to develop further to help in the development of educational systems around the world. Specifically: (1) The early focus in the field which argued for ‘contextually variable’ interventions needs to be rediscovered in a world where solutions are increasingly regarded as universals (as in the PISA discourse); (2) The field needs to focus more on classrooms and teaching given that contemporary analyses show much greater explanatory variance there than at the (much studied) school ‘level’; (3) The field needs to move beyond using simplistic formulations about what makes ‘good’ schools to embrace formulations that concern how to make schools ‘good’; (4) The field needs to move beyond the simplistic early analyses of either the home determinants of learning or ‘school’ ones and acknowledge that both schools and communities/homes need to be synergistically the focus of our improvements efforts. There are therefore questions to ask about the current utility of SI for professionals in education who may be orientated to a different skill set than that of educational effectiveness and improvement currently.

The current utility and future use of the medical student performance record: A survey of perceptions across Canada

Introduction: The MSPR is a Canada wide tool that provides aggregate information on MD students’ performance during training and used widely as part of PG admissions. This survey study elicits the perceptions of PG admissions stakeholders on the current use and future utility of the MSPR in Canada. Methods: PG admissions stakeholders across the faculties of medicine were convenience sampled for a 15-question online survey in the fall of 2018. Participants were asked how and when the MSPR is incorporated into the admissions process and perceptions and recommendations for improvement Data are summarized descriptively and thematically. Results: Responses came from 164 participants across the 17 faculties of medicine. The MSPR was widely used (92%), most commonly in the file review process (52%) for professionalism issues. The majority of responses indicated that MSPRs were not fair for all MD students (60%) and required revision (74%) with greater emphasis required on transparency, professionalism, and narrative comments. Discussion: The results indicate that though MSPRs are widely used in PG admissions their perceived value is limited to a few specific sources of information and to specific parts of the admissions process. There are significant concerns from PG stakeholders on the utility of MSPRs and future changes should align with the needs of these stakeholders while balancing the concerns of students and undergraduate programs.

US-Africa trade framework faces a crossroads

Subject Outlook for the African Growth and Opportunity Act. Significance The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) has been the main channel for US-Africa trade for almost two decades, yet new developments have raised questions about both its current utility and its future prospects, as a growing number of African states have had their AGOA privileges rescinded or threatened, and US officials warn they may not extend AGOA beyond 2025. Impacts Individual FTAs could undermine African states’ infant industries, threatening livelihoods and possibly accelerating de-industrialisation. US efforts to deliver a replicable ‘model’ FTA have faltered, diminishing the chances of securing FTAs across Africa before AGOA expires. Cameroon’s loss of AGOA benefits is unlikely to change its human rights practices significantly.

Artificial intelligence in healthcare: A Canadian context

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to revolutionize the way in which medicine is practiced and thereby transform how healthcare is delivered. While in its nascence in terms of medical applications, it is imperative that the healthcare community plays an active role in helping co-design platforms for the future. This article outlines the Canadian context of AI development by touching on its history and current utility. It also outlines the importance of capital investment, sustainable design, and how Canada has a unique opportunity to be a global leader in AI infrastructure development.

Predicting susceptibility to cyber-fraud victimhood

Purpose This paper aims to develop a theoretical framework to predict susceptibility to cyber-fraud victimhood. Design/methodology/approach A survey was constructed to examine whether personality, socio-demographic characteristics and online routine activities predicted one-off and repeat victimhood of cyber-fraud. Overall, 11,780 participants completed a survey (one-off victims, N = 728; repeat victims = 329). Findings The final saturated model revealed that psychological and socio-demographic characteristics and online routine activities should be considered when predicting victimhood. Consistent with the hypotheses, victims of cyber-frauds were more likely to be older, score high on impulsivity measures of urgency and sensation seeking, score high on addictive measures and engage in more frequent routine activities that place them at great risk of becoming scammed. There was little distinction between one-off and repeat victims of cyber-frauds. Originality/value This work uniquely combines psychological, socio-demographic and online behaviours to develop a comprehensive theoretical framework to predict susceptibility to cyber-frauds. Importantly, the work here challenges the current utility of government websites to protect users from becoming scammed and provides insights into methods that might be used to protect users from becoming scammed.