Course summary

This course will enhance your understanding of international development, cross-cultural communication, entrepreneurship and education. You will develop an awareness of the role of government and markets in education. You will also explore the links between communication, culture and cultural identification. Our course will appeal to anyone concerned about development issues, government policy and the reduction of poverty using entrepreneurial ideas. You'll develop your understanding of: •how cultures and human behaviour reflexively interconnect •school provision in developing countries •the behaviours of key players in international development •developments in education provision relating to the interactions of entrepreneurs, governments and international agencies •philosophical and historical debates on the role of government and markets in education. Our teaching is informed by research conducted by the: •EG West Centre •SOLE Central •North Leadership Centre •Research Centre for Learning and Teaching. The EG West Centre is the world's leading authority on the advancement of affordable private schools serving low income communities across the developing world. Research has focused on post conflict countries such as South Sudan, Liberia and Sierra Leone. It has also explored the growth and expansion of low cost private school chains in countries around the world. Over the last decade, Professor James Tooley has conducted extensive research across the globe. This has documented the enormous potential of private schools. It showed that how they can serve the educational needs of the poor had been neglected and underestimated. A key focus of the centre is Professor Sugata Mitra's research. This explores the potential of self organised learning in communities around the world. His earlier work includes the Hole in the Wall experiments. These experiments involved children with access to shared digital resources. It showed that with such access, they can learn to use computers and the internet. Furthermore, they can learn much more than what we thought possible without adult supervision. Placements: Our two to four week placement module offers an exciting opportunity to visit a developing country. This self-funded visit will provide you with an invaluable experience. It will also bring issues learnt on the course to life. You can choose to visit Omega Schools in Ghana or schools across India. The schools in India are taking part in Sugata Mitra's TED Prize 'Schools in the Cloud' project. Alternatively, you can take the placement in the UK, across Europe, or in your country of origin. This requires the approval of the Degree Programme Director. Facilities: As a student in the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences you'll have access to facilities and a growing collection of online resources, including: •a well-stocked Education Resource Centre •Language Analysis Lab •a phonetics lab •an audio-video lab •a recording studio. You will have access to a range of IT systems and software, and library resources including electronic journals and databases.