Lachlan E.D. Crawford and Paul Shutler
Total quality management (TQM), a management philosophy developed for industrial purposes, is now attracting increasing attention in the field of education. Different…
Abstract
Total quality management (TQM), a management philosophy developed for industrial purposes, is now attracting increasing attention in the field of education. Different interpretations of TQM in industry, however, may result in contrasting outcomes when TQM is applied in schools. Briefly reviews how TQM operates in the industrial context and clarifies how the philosophy of TQM may be translated into the context of education. Examines one inter‐pretation of TQM which aims at improving the quality of the production system in order to produce a quality product with “zero defects”. This may lead to a teaching and learning process which focusses exclusively on achieving good examination results. This is contrasted with a second interpretation of TQM as a never‐ending cycle of improvement in the system of production. In the context of education, this may lead to continually improving the quality of instruction in order to encourage students to become critical and creative thinkers in a fast‐changing technological world.
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Paul M.E. Shutler and Lachlan E.D. Crawford
Addresses the question of how ISO 9000, the international standard for quality management systems, may best be applied to higher education. Begins with a concise but systematic…
Abstract
Addresses the question of how ISO 9000, the international standard for quality management systems, may best be applied to higher education. Begins with a concise but systematic description of the requirements of ISO 9000 for industry in terms of a simplified model of a factory. Argues that the product of higher education must be the actual learning of the students and not merely the provision of learning opportunities. Hence shows how the requirements of ISO 9000 for higher education may be interpreted in terms of a simplified model of a university. Highlights the key educational management issues raised and reviews how they are currently being addressed in practice.
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Wasim Ahmed, Peter A. Bath and Gianluca Demartini
This chapter provides an overview of the specific legal, ethical, and privacy issues that can arise when conducting research using Twitter data. Existing literature is reviewed to…
Abstract
This chapter provides an overview of the specific legal, ethical, and privacy issues that can arise when conducting research using Twitter data. Existing literature is reviewed to inform those who may be undertaking social media research. We also present a number of industry and academic case studies in order to highlight the challenges that may arise in research projects using social media data. Finally, the chapter provides an overview of the process that was followed to gain ethics approval for a Ph.D. project using Twitter as a primary source of data. By outlining a number of Twitter-specific research case studies, the chapter will be a valuable resource to those considering the ethical implications of their own research projects utilizing social media data. Moreover, the chapter outlines existing work looking at the ethical practicalities of social media data and relates their applicability to researching Twitter.
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Thalia Anthony, Juanita Sherwood, Harry Blagg and Kieran Tranter
Mike Thelwall and Saheeda Thelwall
Public attitudes towards COVID-19 and social distancing are critical in reducing its spread. It is therefore important to understand public reactions and information dissemination…
Abstract
Purpose
Public attitudes towards COVID-19 and social distancing are critical in reducing its spread. It is therefore important to understand public reactions and information dissemination in all major forms, including on social media. This article investigates important issues reflected on Twitter in the early stages of the public reaction to COVID-19.
Design/methodology/approach
A thematic analysis of the most retweeted English-language tweets mentioning COVID-19 during March 10–29, 2020.
Findings
The main themes identified for the 87 qualifying tweets accounting for 14 million retweets were: lockdown life; attitude towards social restrictions; politics; safety messages; people with COVID-19; support for key workers; work; and COVID-19 facts/news.
Research limitations/implications
Twitter played many positive roles, mainly through unofficial tweets. Users shared social distancing information, helped build support for social distancing, criticised government responses, expressed support for key workers and helped each other cope with social isolation. A few popular tweets not supporting social distancing show that government messages sometimes failed.
Practical implications
Public health campaigns in future may consider encouraging grass roots social web activity to support campaign goals. At a methodological level, analysing retweet counts emphasised politics and ignored practical implementation issues.
Originality/value
This is the first qualitative analysis of general COVID-19-related retweeting.