Digital Commons Network^™

Embedding Moocs In Academic Programs As A Part Of Curriculum Transformation: A Pilot Case Study, Sarah R. Lambert, Irit Alony

Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) - Papers

The University of Wollongong’s first locally developed and hosted Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) “The Reluctant Mathematician” was a highly scaffolded MOOC designed to support stressed and low-efficacy maths learners. It was developed to lift maths skills at our university and also in the community – where maths skills continue to be a challenge and in some cases a source of stress. Internally the MOOC provided an alternative online way to support students who struggle with mathematics at university level, and as a complement to the existing face to face services. This paper describes a successful approach to using MOOCs …

Populism And Criminal Justice Policy: An Australian Case Study Of Non-Punitive Responses To Alcohol-Related Violence, Julia Quilter

Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts - Papers (Archive)

Populism is widely regarded in the literature as a negative and inherently punitive influence on criminal justice policy. This article challenges this view and highlights the ways in which populism can produce forms of citizen engagement in the criminal justice context that are new and progressive. These possibilities are illustrated through a close analysis of the responses to a single instance of ‘random’ fatal violence: the killing of Thomas Kelly in King’s Cross, Sydney, in 2012. This case study shows how a populist campaign powerfully realigned political allegiances to call for, and achieve, real and enduring action from the New …

Lassi: An Australian Evaluation Of An Enduring Study Skills Assessment Tool, James Gt Marland, Joanne Dearlove, Jennifer Carpenter

Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) - Papers

This study assesses the reliability and validity of the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI), an American survey instrument, in an Australian context. The results of this study were compared with those generated by a comparison study held at a different Australian university and also against other internationally published research. There was a high degree of similarity between the LASSI scores from the students at the two Australian universities, however these scores were considerably different from norms published in the LASSI manual. The students' scores in this study were also compared with data on their gender and age and the …

Moocs' Contribution To Staff Development And Capacity Building: Australian University Case Study, Irit Alony, Stuart B. Kaye, Sarah R. Lambert

Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) - Papers

This paper demonstrates how engaging in the development of MOOCs produces benefits beyond student learning and reputational benefits to the institution. The Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS), a University of Wollongong (UOW) specialist centre in ocean law and policy research, developed a MOOC as a first step towards a fully online Masters program, despite the team's limited experience with online teaching technologies. This small scale pilot suggests that engagement in the development of MOOCs supports not only staff skills' development, but also stimulates capacity-building - both within the academic unit and within the broader institution - …

Case Study: 27.4 Legal Instruments: Great Eastern Ranges Initiative, Malcolm D. Farrier

Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts - Papers (Archive)

The Great Eastern Ranges (GER) Initiative aims to establish a conservation corridor inland of the east coast of Australia, stretching 3600 kilometres from north to south. The corridor is primarily defined by the Great Dividing Range and the Great Escarpment of eastern Australia (Mackey et al. 2010).

Molecular Dynamics Study On The Atomic Mechanisms Of Coupling Motion Of [0 0 1] Symmetric Tilt Grain Boundaries In Copper Bicrystal, Liang Zhang, Cheng Lu, Guillaume Michal, A Kiet Tieu, Kuiyu Cheng

Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts - Papers (Archive)

Recent research has revealed that some grain boundaries (GBs) can migrate coupled to applied shear stress. In this paper, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed on sixteen [0 0 1] symmetric tilt GBs of bicrystal Cu to identify atomic-scale GB migration mechanisms and investigate their dependence on GB structure. The misorientation angles (θ) of the sixteen GBs cover the interval from 0° to 90° and a wide range of Σ values. A general method was proposed to explore the possible GB structures for each misorientation angle. Molecular statics simulation at a temperature of 0K were carried out first to determine …

The Impact Of Social Networks And Mobile Technologies On The Revolutions In The Arab World - A Study Of Egypt And Tunisia, Alana Maurushat, Mohamed Chawki, Hadeel Al-Alosi, Yassin El Shazly

Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts - Papers (Archive)

Revolts in Tunisia and Egypt have led many observers to speak of the “first digital revolution” in the Arab world. Social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, are now recognised as the important tools that facilitated the “Jasmine Revolution”. In fact, the willingness of the Mubarak government to block all internet connection in Egypt has demonstrated the concern over the power of new technologies in facilitating political change. The tenacity of the social movements that are still on-going in the Arab world continues to demonstrate the important role that networked technologies—such as the internet, satellite channels and social networking …

Reporting Refugees: A Case Study In Interdisciplinary Research-Led Experiential Learning, Julie N. Posetti, Jonathan Powles

Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts - Papers (Archive)

Inflammatory Australian media coverage of refugees and asylum seekers – an utterly marginalised subset of those from culturally and linguistically diverse communities portrayed as "mad, bad, sad or other" (Phillips & Tapsall 2007a, 2007b; Phillips 2009; Phillips 2011) - is frequently blamed for entrenched bigotry against these groups (Posetti 2007, 2009, 2010; Ewart & Posetti 2010; McKay, Thomas & Blood 2011).

How should journalism educators respond to this problem? And how should they respond in the context of an increasingly converged and social media-engaged industry, with a research objective?

At the University of Canberra (where the lead author taught broadcast …

Methodological Lessons In Neurophenomenology: Review Of A Baseline Study And Recommendations For Research Approaches, Patricia Bockelman Morrow, Lauren Reinerman-Jones, Shaun Gallagher

Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts - Papers (Archive)

Neurophenomenological (NP) methods integrate objective and subjective data in ways that retain the statistical power of established disciplines (like cognitive science) while embracing the value of first-person reports of experience. The present paper positions neurophenomenology as an approach that pulls from traditions of cognitive science but includes techniques that are challenging for cognitive science in some ways. A baseline study is reviewed for lessons learned, that is, the potential methodological improvements that will support advancements in understanding consciousness and cognition using neurophenomenology. These improvements, we suggest, include (1) addressing issues of interdisciplinarity by purposefully and systematically creating and maintaining shared …

Using Interviews And Peer Pairs To Better Understand How School Environments Affect Young Children's Playground Physical Activity Levels: A Qualitative Study, Anne-Maree Parrish, Heather Yeatman, Donald Iverson, Ken Russell

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

School break times provide a daily opportunity for children to be active; however, research indicates this time is underutilized. Reasons for low children’s playground activity levels have primarily focused on physical barriers. This research aimed to contribute to physical environmental findings affecting children’s playground physical activity levels by identifying additional variables through the interview process. Thirteen public schools were included in the sample (total 2946 children). Physical activity and environmental data were collected over 3 days. Environmental variables were manually assessed at each of the 13 schools. Observational data were used to determine which three schools were the most and …

The Effect Of Dairy Consumption On Blood Pressure In Mid-Childhood: Caps Cohort Study, A M. Rangan, V L. Flood, G Denyer, J G. Ayer, K L. Webb, G B. Marks, D S. Celermajer, Tim Gill

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background/objectives: It has been postulated that higher dairy consumption may affect blood pressure regulation. The aim of this study was to examine the association between dairy consumption and blood pressure in mid-childhood. Methods: Subjects (n=335) were participants of a birth cohort at high risk of asthma withinformation on diet at 18 months and blood pressure at 8 years. Multivariate analyses were used to assess the association of dairy consumption (serves) and micronutrient intakes (mg) at 18 m with blood pressure at 8 y. In a subgroup of children (n=201), dietary intake was measured at age 18 m and 9 y …

Translation Of Tobacco Policy Into Practice In Disadvantaged And Marginalized Subpopulations: A Study Of Challenges And Opportunities In Remote Australian Indigenous Communities, Jan A. Robertson, Katherine M. Conigrave, Rowena Ivers, Kim Usher, Alan R. Clough

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: In Australia generally, smoking prevalence more than halved after 1980 and recently commenced to decline among Australia's disadvantaged Indigenous peoples. However, in some remote Indigenous Australian communities in the Northern Territory (NT), extremely high rates of up to 83% have not changed over the past 25 years. The World Health Organisation has called for public health and political leadership to address a global tobacco epidemic. For Indigenous Australians, unprecedented policies aim to overcome disadvantage and close the 'health gap' with reducing tobacco use the top priority. This study identifies challenges and opportunities to implementing these important new tobacco initiatives …

Anti-Corruption Movements And The 'Twittering Classes' In The Postcolony: An Indian Case Study, Ramaswami Harindranath, Sukhmani Khorana

Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts - Papers (Archive)

Recent events in the Middle East and North Africa have been widely celebrated as the triumph of civil society. Such accounts extol the role of social media and the Internet as the loci for the mobilisation of popular protest, so much so that news narratives and scholarly commentary both see these technologies as shaping these revolutions, as enabling such upheavals in civil society. Using a recent case of popular mobilisation in India, namely the anti-­‐corruption movement inspired in 2011 by Anna Hazare, this paper attempts to locate these developments within particular formations in the postcolony.

Circumventing The Who Code? An Observational Study, Nina J. Berry, Sandra C. Jones, Donald C. Iverson

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background This study compares the formula milk advertisements that appeared in parenting magazines published in two countries that have enacted measures to restrict the advertising of infant formula products in response to the international code with two that have not. Methods Content analysis was used to compare the type and frequency of formula milk advertisements that appeared in parenting magazines collected from the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia during 2007, and to examine whether there was a relationship between these frequencies and advertising regulations. Findings Advertisements that promoted formula products or brands occurred in all of the magazines sampled …

Healthy Beginnings Trial Phase 2 Study: Follow-Up And Cost-Effectiveness Analysis, Li Ming Wen, Louise A. Baur, Chris Rissel, Vicki Flood, Judy M. Simpson, Alison Hayes, Louise L. Hardy, Karen Wardle

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: In 2007, we commenced the Healthy Beginnings Trial (HBT) Phase 1 study, which is the first randomised controlled trial (RCT) to test the effectiveness of an early childhood obesity intervention in children aged up to 2 years. The results were promising with significant improvements in infant feeding practices and a lower mean body mass index (BMI). The aims of this proposed Phase 2 study are to determine if the early intervention will lead to a lower mean BMI, lower screen time, improved dietary behaviours and demonstrated costeffectiveness of the intervention, in children aged 3½ and 5 years. Methods/design: In …

Study Protocol: A Randomized Controlled Trial Of A Computer-Based Depression And Substance Abuse Intervention For People Attending Residential Substance Abuse Treatment, Peter J. Kelly, Frances Kay-Lambkin, Amanda Baker, Frank P. Deane, Adam C. Brooks, Alexandra Mitchell, Sarah Marshall, Meredith Whittington, Genevieve A. Dingle

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

"Background: A large proportion of people attending residential alcohol and other substance abuse treatment have a co-occurring mental illness. Empirical evidence suggests that it is important to treat both the substance abuse problem and co-occurring mental illness concurrently and in an integrated fashion. However, the majority of residential alcohol and other substance abuse services do not address mental illness in a systematic way. It is likely that computer delivered interventions could improve the ability of substance abuse services to address co-occurring mental illness. This protocol describes a study in which we will assess the effectiveness of adding a computer delivered …

Why (Not) Alcohol Energy Drinks? A Qualitative Study With Australian University Students, Sandra C. Jones, Lance R. Barrie, Nina J. Berry

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Introduction and Aims. Alcohol energy drinks (AEDs) are a recent entry to the ready-to-drink market, but there is an absence of research into the reasons young people consume these products and their consumption-related experiences.The aim of the current study was to investigate university students’ perceptions of, and experiences with, pre-mixed AEDs.

Design and Methods. Four focus groups with undergraduate university students in a large regional city in New South Wales; with transcripts coded for key themes.

Results.Participants reported a number of benefits of AED consumption,many of which were similar to other ready-to-drinks, such as taste and image. However, the primary …

Study Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial Of Humor Therapy In Residential Care: The Sydney Multisite Intervention Of Laughterbosses And Elderclowns (Smile), Belinda Goodenough, Lee-Fay Low, Anne-Nicole Casey, Lynn Chenoweth, Richard Fleming, Peter Spitzer, Jean-Paul Bell, Henry Brodaty

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Humor therapy is a non-pharmacological intervention with potential to improve mood and quality of life for institutionalized older persons, including those with dementia. The primary aims of the Sydney Multisite Intervention of LaughterBosses and ElderClowns (SMILE) are to examine the effects of humor therapy on residents' mood, quality of life, social engagement, and agitation. Methods: SMILE is a single-blinded cluster-randomized controlled trial where 398 consented residents in 35 residential aged care facilities will be allocated to receive humor therapy or usual care. Residents allocated to the intervention group will engage in humor therapy with professional performers (ElderClowns) and trained …

A Case Study Of Globalized Knowledge Flows: Guanxi In Social Science And Management Theory, Xiaoying Qi

Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts - Papers (Archive)

This article examines globalized knowledge flows through a case study of the treatment of the Chinese concept of guanxi in social and management science journals. Three forms of concept– theory relations are postulated which effectively correspond with different patterns of knowledge flow. The treatment of this concept in 214 refereed journal articles published from 1999 to 2009 indicates that the concept guanxi, which possesses capacity for theoretical development, is predominantly treated merely as an object of study rather than the basis of theoretical elaboration. A continuing dominant pattern of knowledge flows from the metropole to the periphery is thus indicated. …

Consumers' Salient Beliefs Regarding Dairy Products In The Functional Food Era: A Qualitative Study Using Concepts From The Theory Of Planned Behaviour, Deborah Nolan, Elizabeth Neale, Yasmine Probst, Karen E. Charlton, Linda C. Tapsell

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background Inadequate consumption of dairy products without appropriate dietary substitution may have deleterious health consequences. Social research reveals the factors that may impede compliance with dietary recommendations. This is particularly important given the recent introduction of functional dairy products. One of the challenges for public health professionals is to demonstrate the efficacy of nutrition education in improving attitudes toward nutrient rich foods. The aim of this study was to explore the salient beliefs of adult weight loss trial participants regarding both traditional and functional dairy products and to compare these with a control group not exposed to nutrition education Methods …

Using The Theory Of Planned Behavior And Barriers To Treatment To Predict Intention To Enter Further Treatment Following Residential Drug And Alcohol Detoxification: A Pilot Study, Peter J. Kelly, Frank P. Deane, Zoe Mccarthy, Trevor P. Crowe

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

There has been limited research examining the impact of clients’ behavioural beliefs on whether they intend to access further treatment following residential drug and alcohol detoxification. Treatment post-detoxification is generally recommended to reduce relapse and for more sustained positive outcomes. The present pilot study examined the extent to which (1) primary components of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), (2) perceived barriers to accessing treatment and (3) the participants’ previous involvement in substance abuse treatment predicted intentions to enter further treatment following residential detoxification. One hundred and sixty eight participants accessing Salvation Army detoxification units in Australia completed a survey …

Cognitive Ability, Right-Wing Authoritarianism, And Social Dominance Orientation: A Five-Year Longitudinal Study Amongst Adolescents, Patrick C. L. Heaven, Joseph Ciarrochi, Peter Leeson

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Socio-Economic Activity And Water Use In Australia's Tropical Rivers: A Case Study In The Mitchell And Daly River Catchments: Final Report For The Tropical Rivers And Coastal Knowledge Research Consortium, Natalie Stoeckl, Michelle Esparon, Owen Stanley, Marina Farr, Aurelie Delisle, Zulgerel Altai

Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts - Papers (Archive)

Tropical Rivers and Coastal Knowledge (TRaCK) is a research hub that was established in 2007 under the Commonwealth Environment Research Facilities Program. Its aim is to provide the science and other knowledge that governments, communities and industries need for the sustainable use and management of Australia’s tropical rivers and estuaries.

Case Study In Academic And Industry Collaboration: The Development Of An Adolescent Targeted Sun Protection Intervention In Nsw, Melinda Williams, Sandra Jones, Donald Iverson, Peter Caputi, Sofia Potente

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Academic and industry collaboration is increasingly identified as a critical element in the future health of Australians through linking theory and practice, with the major priority for academic institutions being the identification of new knowledge and the transfer of this knowledge into changes in policy and health services. Collaborations between academia and industry are increasingly encouraged in Australia by research funding schemes such as ARCLinkage and, more recently, NHMRC Partnerships. While a recent US study suggests that such schemes have a moderate effect on academics’ propensity to work with industry (Bozeman and Gaughan, 2007), industry groups have recognised the value …

When Does Alcohol Sponsorship Of Sport Become Sports Sponsorship Of Alcohol? A Case Study Of Developments In Sport In Australia, Sandra C. Jones

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Alcohol sponsorship of sport is common in Australia, with much debate about the appropriateness of linking sport with alcohol advertising and promotion. This paper provides examples of such sponsorships to appreciate the extent and nature of complex relationship between sport and alcohol sponsors. The public health and policy implications of alcohol sponsorship of sport extending to creating a sporting competition purely to promote an alcohol brand are considered.

Introduction: Currents, Cross-Currents, Undercurrents, Frances Devlin-Glass, Tony Simoes Da Silva

Faculty of Arts - Papers (Archive)

The similarities in an issue such as this one are often purely serendipitous; JASAL 10 brings together work submitted to a general, non-thematic issue and it should not surprise that the range of material is very diverse. Yet on occasion there are obvious points of contact between the various pieces and that is certainly the case here. The subtitle we have given to this brief Introduction seeks to capture some of the ways in which the essays interrelate, both complementing (and supplementing) each other and complicating particular readings. Essays included here range from critical examinations of well-known works, as is …

Researching Journalists And Vulnerable Sources: Issues In The Design And Implementation Of A National Study, Stephen J. Tanner, Mark Pearson, Jolyon Sykes, Kerry Green

Faculty of Creative Arts - Papers (Archive)

This paper reports upon the design and implementation of a study of the way Australian newspaper journalists and their publications have dealt with vulnerable sources, particularly those from groups already identified as ‘vulnerable’ in Australian society. The Australian research into so-called ‘vulnerable’ sources has reinforced international studies identifying disability, post-trauma, mental illness, age and indigeneity as characteristics signalling individuals as worthy of special care when news events prompt journalists to seek their comments or portray them visually or textually in a story (see literature discussion below). Whole journalistic support and training packages have centred upon the reportage of people from …

Equality Vs Difference: A Case Study Of Japanese Media Representations Of Gender-Specific Provisions In Labour Legislation, Kirsti Rawstron

Faculty of Arts - Papers (Archive)

This paper examines the portrayal of gender issues in the Japanese media. It will do so through a case study of discussions in mainstream newspapers surrounding the removal of the gender-specific provisions (or ‘women’s protection articles’, hereafter WPA) of the Labour Standards Law. The discussions touch on debates concerning ‘equality’ and ‘difference’ and debates concerning the role of legislation in promoting social change. After a summary of relevant legislation, the arguments surrounding the 1997 removal (effective 1999) of the WPA is examined using items from 1982 to 2005 in the Asahi Shimbun, the Mainichi Shimbun, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun and …

Older Patients' Attitudes To General Practice Registrars: A Qualitative Study, Andrew D. Bonney, Lyn Phillipson, Sandra C. Jones, Donald Iverson

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background Research suggests that older patients may be reluctant to engage general practice registrars (GPRs) in their care. The authors undertook a qualitative study of the attitudes of older patients to GPRs to investigate this issue. Method Thirty-eight patients aged 60 years and over from three training practices participated in semistructured telephone interviews, which explored patients responses to GPRs. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using a template analysis approach. Results Analysis of the interviews produced five major themes concerning patient attitudes to GPRs: desire for continuity, desire for access, openness, trust and a desire for meaningful communication. Discussion …

Decreased Density Of Serotonin 2a Receptors In The Superior Temporal Gyrus In Schizophrenia - A Postmortem Study, Xu-Feng Huang, Chao Deng, Qing Wang, Kai Kang

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The superior temporal gyrus (STG) is strongly implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia,particularly with regards to auditory hallucinations. In this study, using in situ quantitative autoradiography in postmortem tissue, we investigated the binding of the [3H]ketanserin to 5-HT2A receptors and [3H] mesulergine to 5-HT2C receptors in the left STG of 8 male schizophrenic patients compared to 8 control subjects. A strong [3H]ketanserin binding was observed in the STG, however there was a very weak [3H] mesulergine binding in the STG. A significant decrease in binding of [3H]ketanserin was clearly observed in schizophrenia patients in comparison with control subjects. There were …