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This 230 page edited book attempts to capture the ethos of the age of learning and analyze its features. It questions its ethics from a variety of academic perspectives and discusses how the learning society actually functions. Traditional views are seen threatened, as education becomes a commodity. Education and learning are seen intertwined with global capitalism, and government policies and practices are increasingly viewed as treating learning as an investment, resulting in employability and work. A learning society emerges as one of the products.

Work undertaken in collaboration with BPICS, Cincom (UK) Ltd and ICI Engineering supported by funding from the EPSRC (CDP). The project reviewed planning and scheduling procedures in over 30 industrial companies over a two‐year period to establish best practice in shop‐floor scheduling and to identify the key factors for scheduling success. Outlines the research approach briefly to provide a framework for the analysis of scheduling performance by industrial sector and by scheduling tool. This includes a powerful method for the performance measurement of supply‐chain management systems which allows the comparison of effectiveness in different operating environments and when using a variety of scheduling approaches. Important elements of the project were the review and comparison of scheduling performance in conventional MRPII environments (usually a manual activity based on expediting or the use of shop floor control) with that of more recent finite capacity‐based tools and a classification of scheduling approaches. Some clear lessons have been learned. Concludes by presenting these along with an outline of the success factors which underpin effective scheduling performance in the range of best practice companies identified.

Investigates the efficiency of finite capacity scheduling tools within companies which employ them. Presents research findings of the Liverpool STS Research Group into “best practice” in short‐term scheduling. Concludes with a list of key points drawn from the research.

The most common approach to the identification of training needs and the preparation of training programmes and material is through a process of individual job analysis. Individual job analysis has been used successfully for a wide range of occupations including managers, supervisors and shop floor employees, and whilst it has also been used for clerical occupations, it has in practice, presented difficulties. These difficulties arise because clerical jobs, whilst being numerous, are less homogeneous than those of production workers. There is also normally a greater degree of job flexibility. To overcome these difficulties two broad approaches have been used: • identification of common basic skills • analysis of systems. It is with the developments which have flowed from the analysis of systems that this article is concerned. These developments have led us to three broad conclusions: • the need for systems training extends beyond what are normally regarded as administrative and clerical jobs • the training needs identified as a result of analysing systems differ from those identified when the approach is through individual job analysis • using the systems approach training material is quicker to produce, more flexible and probably reduces training times.

Discusses the relationships between finite schedulers which operate on output from a higher level in a conventional MRPII system, and so‐called stand‐alone schedulers which essentially operate directly on orders. Presents two graphical models – a demand flow model and a flowpipe model – which help to explain the differences between such schedulers and are used to illustrate the key features of each. Coupled schedulers tend to work on demand which has already been smoothed or planned in some way and can be described as planning‐led, whereas stand‐alone schedulers work from unfiltered data, with the operator reacting to schedule quality (due‐date performance, resource activation levels, etc.) and thence adjusting resource and rerunning. Ascribes the growth of the stand‐alone scheduler, at least in part, to the greatly increased computing power available quite inexpensively on modern equipment.

This paper takes stock of developments in, and the state of, the field of comparative and international education at the beginning of the 21st century, using as data base articles published in the journal Comparative Education Review during the second decade of the 21st century and to compare results with a content analysis done on the first 50 years of the existence of the Review and which was published in 2008. The 246 articles that were published in the Comparative Education Review during the decade 2010–2019 were analyzed under the following metrics: levels of analysis of articles; number of units covered by articles; research methods; narrative basis; phase of education articles cover; and mode of education articles deal with. Compared to the first 50 years of the existence of the Review, single-unit national-level studies still dominate the field, though less so. A case can be made out for a deconcentration to allow more space for research at geographic levels both larger and smaller than the nation-state. The most prominent narrative in which articles are framed is that of the social justice narrative. The neo-liberal economic narrative stands strong too, while the poor standing of the human rights narrative is disappointing. Turning to modes and phases of education is concerned, the shadow education system has registered on the comparative and international education research agenda, while there seems to be a modest upswing in interest in pre-primary education. Thoughts about the future trajectory of the field are suggested.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the implications for adults of learning in a residential context and whether the residential aspect intensifies the learning process, and can lead to enhanced personal transformation, moving beyond professional skills and training for employability.

The paper reports on research, conducted in 2017, with 41 current and former staff and students (on both short courses and longer access courses) in four residential colleges for adults: Ruskin, Northern, Fircroft and Hillcroft Colleges.

Key findings include the powerful role residential education plays in accelerating and deepening learning experiences, particularly for adults who have faced extraordinary personal and societal challenges and are second chance learners. The colleges, all in historic settings, confer feelings of worth, security and sanctuary and the staff support – pastoral and academic, bespoke facilities and private rooms are vital enabling mechanisms. Seminar-style learning creates opportunity for experiential group learning, helping to foster critical thinking and challenge to mainstream views.

The colleges’ ethos, curricula and traditions foster among students an “ethic of service” and a desire to offer “emotional labour” to their own communities, through working for instance in health and social care or the voluntary sector.

Little research has been undertaken in contemporary settings on the impact of learning in a residential environment, particularly for second chance learners and vulnerable adults. Still less research has examined the wider implications of learning in a historic building setting and of learning which extends into critical thinking, intellectual growth, transformation and change.