Department of Education, Unit Catalogue 2007/08 |
ED50177 Education, globalisation & change |
| Credits: 9 |
| Level: Masters |
| Semester: 2 |
| Assessment: CW 100% |
| Requisites: |
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Aims & Learning Objectives: The aims of the unit are to provide students with an understanding of: * Theories and concepts which seek to explain the origins of globalisation and its impact on national contexts; * The social, cultural and economic changes associated with globalisation; * Policy development as a response to global and domestic pressures; * The complex relationship between globalisation and the convergence and divergence of education policy across states; * The impact of education policy on economic competitiveness and on equity within and between states. At the end of this unit the student will be able to: * Identify, clarify and contribute to the main debates associated with the phenomenon of globalisation; * Apply and critique major theories on the relationship between globalisation and its differential impact on states; * Identify the factors leading to the convergence or divergence of education policy in different national contexts and its impact on economic competitiveness and equity; * Articulate the effects of globalisation in key educational areas such as citizenship education, educational quality and assessment; * Design a local or national policy strategy which exploits a benefit associated with globalisation or acts to mediate an adverse effect of globalisation. Content: The unit will address the following areas; some of these will be individual sessions while others are likely to be themes combined in one session or appearing across more than one session: * Theories on the origins of globalisation and its influence on national contexts; * Convergences and divergences in state policy responses to globalisation; * The relationship between education policy and economic competitiveness in different national contexts; * Local and global markets in education; * The influence of international agencies and organisations such as the World Bank, UN and EU; * The knowledge economy and the emergence of mass higher education; * Global trends in assessment and examinations; * Citizenship education in an international context; * Changing definitions of, and influences on, educational quality in the context of globalisation; * The expansion of, and impact of, international systems of education; * Mediation of global policy through national and local implementation. |