Is learning analytics a movement that seeks to rebalance the effects of higher education's apparent blindness to privilege, its unequal access regimes and persistent retention and attainment gaps through a more skilful and strategic use of student data? Or is it part of a larger project to surveil students and staff in higher education, in pursuit of greater efficiency and control? Both perspectives are alive and well in debates surrounding higher education's changing relationship with its students. The systematic institutional use of student-generated data known as learning analytics is raising practical, methodological and ethical questions, which are yet to be answered. However, a proposed framework for assessing and comparing the quality of learning and teaching in the UK is poised to use such data as one of its metrics. Learning analytics and its relationship to student engagement is explored through the first known research to utilise an adaptation of Kuh's National Survey of Student Engagement with people studying Massive Open Online Courses. Contrasting perspectives are offered by Siemen's theory of connectivist learning and Foucault's notion of the panopticon. If the potential of analytics is to be realised in terms of meaningful quality improvement, questions remain concerning ethics, trust, its role in engagement in learning, and the ways in which policy might effectively safeguard the longer-term individual and collective interests of students.Keywords 1,* 1 e.Proofing

There is growing research and policy interest in the extent to which government-supported Apprenticeship in England provides a platform for educational and career progression in different occupational sectors. This paper makes a contribution to this debate by presenting research on the healthcare sector undertaken in a regional health authority in England, and by suggesting that ideas associated with labour market theory can shed light on some of the key differences in Apprenticeship frameworks and the progression opportunities available in different kinds of healthcare occupations. The research included policy and documentary review as well as qualitative interviews with employers in NHS Trusts. More specifically, our analysis applies key characteristics of occupational and internal labour markets to show how Apprenticeship frameworks fit and reinforce variations in employment, training and career opportunities in two contrasting Advanced Apprenticeship frameworks, Clinical Healthcare Support, and Pharmacy Services. We conclude that the labour market lens is useful in focusing attention on the structures and key stakeholder relationships which determine the development of vocational training and the barriers or opportunities for educational or career progression in diverse sectoral contexts and occupations across the economy.

BackgroundIn the UK, higher education and health care providers share responsibility for educating the workforce. The challenges facing health practice also face health education and as educators we are implicated, by the way we design curricula and through students’ experiences and their stories.This paper asks whether ethics education has a new role to play, in a context of major organisational change, a global and national austerity agenda and the ramifications of disturbing reports of failures in care. It asks: how would it be different if equal amounts of attention were given to the conditions in which health decisions are made, if the ethics of organisational and policy decisions were examined, and if guiding collaborations with patients and others who use services informed ethics education and its processes?DiscussionThis is in three parts. In part one an example from an inspection report is used to question the ways in which clinical events are decontextualised and constructed for different purposes. Ramifications of a decision are reflected upon and a case made for different kinds of allegiances to be developed. In part two I go on to broaden the scope of ethics education and make a case for beginning with the messy realities of practice rather than with overarching moral theories. The importance of power in ethical practice is introduced, and in part three the need for greater political and personal awareness is proposed as a condition of moral agency.SummaryThis paper proposes that ethics education has a new contribution to make, in supporting and promoting ethical practice – as it is defined in and by the everyday actions and decisions of practitioners and people who need health services. Ethics education that promotes moral agency, rather than problem solving approaches, would explore not only clinical problems, but also the difficult and contested arenas in which they occur. It would seek multiple perspectives and would begin with places and people, and their priorities. It would support students to locate their practice in imperfect global contexts, and to understand how individual and collective forms of power can influence healthcare quality.

Background. There is debate worldwide about the best way to manage increased healthcare demand within ageing populations, particularly rising rates of unplanned and avoidable hospital admissions. Objectives. To understand health and social care professionals' perspectives on barriers to admission avoidance throughout the admissions journey, in particular: the causes of avoidable admissions in older people; drivers of admission and barriers to use of admission avoidance strategies; and improvements to reduce unnecessary admissions. Design. A qualitative framework analysis of interview data from a System dynamics (SD) modelling study. Methods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty health and social care professionals with experience of older people's admissions. The interviews were used to build understanding of factors facilitating or hindering admission avoidance across the admissions system. Data were analysed using framework analysis. Results. Three overarching themes emerged: understanding the needs of the patient group; understanding the whole system; and systemwide access to expertise in care of older people. There were diverse views on the underlying reasons for avoidable admissions and recognition of the need for whole-system approaches to service redesign. Conclusions. Participants recommended system redesign that recognises the specific needs of older people, but there was no consensus on underlying patient needs or © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd 1 specific service developments. Access to expertise in management of older and frailer patients was seen as a barrier to admission avoidance throughout the system. Implications for practice. Providing access to expertise and leadership in care of frail older people across the admissions system presents a challenge for service managers and nurse educators but is seen as a prerequisite for effective admission avoidance. System redesign to meet the needs of frail older people requires agreement on causes of avoidable admission and underlying patient needs.Key words: admission avoidance, frailty, framework analysis, hospital admissions, older people, system dynamics modelling What does this research add to existing knowledge in gerontology?• Professionals' assumptions about patient needs and service development were not shared across professional groups and services.• Although professionals acknowledged the need for whole-system service redesign, this study revealed that professionals had only a partial understanding of the whole admissions system.• Lack of expertise in care of older people was seen as a systemwide limitation on development and delivery of admission avoidance services.What are the implications of this new knowledge for nursing care with older people?• The nursing profession must consider how expertise and leadership in care of older people can be developed across the healthcare system.• Nurses with expertise in care of older people to disseminate and develop effective interventions which acknowledge the specific needs of frail older ...

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