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Effective Use Of The Internet: Keeping Professionals Working In Rural Australia, A. Herrington, J. Herrington Dec 2006

Effective Use Of The Internet: Keeping Professionals Working In Rural Australia, A. Herrington, J. Herrington

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Disparities between rural and metropolitan areas in the provision of essential services to Australian citizens, in health, education, employment and technology, have the potential to undermine national cohesion. Professionals working in rural and remote areas of Australia often feel isolated and unsupported, and little research attention has been given to determining effective ways to retain their professional services in rural Australia. The innovative use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to deliver online support, professional development and resources could help to remove a sense of professional isolation, and have a positive effect on professionals’ morale, reduce attrition, and decrease government …


“Boys And Girls Are The Same”: Gender Perceptions In Using Computers In The Classroom, N. F. Johnson Nov 2006

“Boys And Girls Are The Same”: Gender Perceptions In Using Computers In The Classroom, N. F. Johnson

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

The New Zealand government has increasingly promoted computer use within schools, through policy, and through the provision of computers and professional development, amongst other initiatives. These trends seen in New Zealand are similar to those seen in other developed countries. Differences have been reported in girls’ and boys’ attitudes towards, experience with, amount of use, type of use, and interest in computers. The research reported here examined two senior primary school classrooms for evidence of these previously documented gender differences. This empirical study found few differences between girls’ and boys’ use of computers; however, perceptions of computer expertise were gendered. …


Authentic Tasks Online: A Synergy Among Learner, Task And Technology, J. Herrington, R. Oliver, T. C. Reeves Jul 2006

Authentic Tasks Online: A Synergy Among Learner, Task And Technology, J. Herrington, R. Oliver, T. C. Reeves

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Fostering the synergy among learner, task and technology to create innovative and immersive distance learning environments runs counter to the widespread practice of incorporating traditional classroom pedagogical strategies into web-based delivery of courses. The most widely accepted model of online higher education appears to be one of reductionism, whereby learning management systems facilitate the design of easily digested packets of information, usually assessed by discrete stand-alone tests and academic assignments. This paper describes a model of authentic tasks that can assist in designing environments of increased rather than reduced complexity. It provides a robust framework for the design of online …


Authentic E-Learning In Higher Education: Design Principles For Authentic Learning Environments And Tasks, J. Herrington Jun 2006

Authentic E-Learning In Higher Education: Design Principles For Authentic Learning Environments And Tasks, J. Herrington

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

With many learners failing to engage with didactic and outmoded instructional methods, and unwilling to use technology that simply replicates the one-way transfer of information from teacher to student, authentic learning designs have the potential to improve student engagement and educational outcomes. This paper argues that online technologies afford the design and creation of truly innovative authentic learning environments. The theoretical foundations of this approach are strong, and they are also explored, together with discussion of the importance of tasks as the focus of authentic activities. Finally, the case is made for a more comprehensive approach to investigating the effectiveness …


Re-Conceiving Ability In Physical Education: A Social Analysis, Jan Wright, L. Burrows Apr 2006

Re-Conceiving Ability In Physical Education: A Social Analysis, Jan Wright, L. Burrows

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

In this paper we explore how ‘ability’ is currently conceptualised in physical education and with what effects for different groups of young people. We interrogate approaches to theorizing ability in physical education that draw on sociological and phenomenological ‘foundations’ together with notions of ability as ‘physical’ and ‘cultural capital’ drawn from the work of Bourdieu. We also look to data we and others have collected across a number of empirical projects to ask: where do we find talk about what we might identify as ‘ability’ in the context of physical education and sport; how is it talked about? and in …


Constructions Of Gender In Computer Magazine Advertisements: Confronting The Literature, N. F. Johnson, L. Rowan, J. Lynch Feb 2006

Constructions Of Gender In Computer Magazine Advertisements: Confronting The Literature, N. F. Johnson, L. Rowan, J. Lynch

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Previous studies (Sofia, 1998; 2002; Turner & Hovenden, 1997; Weinstein, 1998) discussed the power relations surrounding the advertisements for computers in computing magazines, in particular deconstructing the imagery and text which manifested the dominant digital discourse of power (Millar, 1998). In these studies, the authors found that women were positioned as incapable and impotent users of computers. The authors examined a number of New Zealand and Australian home computing magazines published in 2003 and 2004, looking for evidence of the gendered nature of technology or examples of any form which would constitute discrimination against women or other identity categories. The …


Establishing An Internet-Based Special Education Community In Bulgaria: A Summary Of Preliminary Findings And Future Steps, R. Peterson Jan 2006

Establishing An Internet-Based Special Education Community In Bulgaria: A Summary Of Preliminary Findings And Future Steps, R. Peterson

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Research behind the establishment of an Internet-based community of practice, called Special Ed Bulgaria, www.specialedbulgaria.org, is discussed. Preliminary results show that special education researchers and practitioners in Bulgaria are familiar enough with using the Internet to benefit from an online community. Results also indicate that there is sufficient access to the Internet. Usability results directed modifications to the prototype online community and led to the incorporation of a popular course management system called Moodle.


The Affective Characteristics Of Underachieving Gifted Children, Roselyn M. Dixon, Rhonda Craven, Andrew Martin Jan 2006

The Affective Characteristics Of Underachieving Gifted Children, Roselyn M. Dixon, Rhonda Craven, Andrew Martin

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Underachievement has long been recognised as a problem for some gifted children. In such cases, the potential of these children may be a loss to society. Indeed, it has been argued that these individuals not only turn out to be relatively non-productive members of adult society but also they have potential personal problems. In spite of its importance there has been little research into underachieving gifted children since the seminal studies of Whitmore (1980). The aim of this research was to investigate the affective characteristics of achieving and underachieving intellectually gifted children. In particular, the three affective characteristics were academic …


Social Comparison Theory And People With Mild Intellectual Disabilities: It Is More Complex Than You Think, Roselyn M. Dixon, H Marsh, Rhonda Craven Jan 2006

Social Comparison Theory And People With Mild Intellectual Disabilities: It Is More Complex Than You Think, Roselyn M. Dixon, H Marsh, Rhonda Craven

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Social comparison theory offers an understanding of the effect of deinstitutionalisation on the development of self-concept for people with intellectual disabilities (Finlay & Lyons, 2000). Social comparison theory predicts that people with intellectual disabilities living in the community will make comparisons with non-disabled groups and as such their self-concept will decrease because of negative frame of reference effects (Tracey, 2002). However, there are indications that this conceptualisation may be too simplistic (Crocker & Major, 1989, Finlay & Lyons, 2000). Newer developments in social comparison theory and research emphasise the active nature of social comparisons (i.e. people have a choice in …


Use Of Visualisation Software To Support Understanding Of Chemical Equilibrium: The Importance Of Appropriate Teaching Strategies, Anula Weerawardhana, Brian Ferry, Christine A. Brown Jan 2006

Use Of Visualisation Software To Support Understanding Of Chemical Equilibrium: The Importance Of Appropriate Teaching Strategies, Anula Weerawardhana, Brian Ferry, Christine A. Brown

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper describes the results of a study in which a group of science pre-service teachers used computer-based visualisation software resources to develop teaching strategies and lessons that would support the development of students’ conceptual understanding of chemical equilibrium. They used SMV: CHEM, VisChem and chemistry software packaged with textbooks. The goal was to assist science/chemistry teachers to design lessons that would overcome known difficulties in developing students’ understanding. Four teaching strategies of one teaching team are described in detail to illustrate the multifaceted nature of the way in which the software resources were used in lessons. Such a process …


Design-Based Research And The Learning Designer, Deidre Seeto, Janice A. Herrington Jan 2006

Design-Based Research And The Learning Designer, Deidre Seeto, Janice A. Herrington

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

The role of the learning designer has expanded from the commonly known activities of an instructional designer to incorporate a range of new roles, largely prompted by new technologies. In this paper, we articulate an approach that further extends the role of the learning designer to encompass evaluation and design-based research, in collaboration with the subject matter expert. Such collaboration is professionally enhancing for both parties, and adds to the sum of knowledge on the effective design of learning environments, by documenting and disseminating the learning design process.


Using Fmri To Explore Interactivity And Cognition: A Methodological Case Study, Barney Dalgarno, Gregor Kennedy, Susan J. Bennett Jan 2006

Using Fmri To Explore Interactivity And Cognition: A Methodological Case Study, Barney Dalgarno, Gregor Kennedy, Susan J. Bennett

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Recent educational models of computer-based interactivity stress the important role of a learner’s cognition. It has been suggested that interactive learning tasks carried out in the context of an authentic, problem-based scenario will result in deeper, elaborative cognitive processing leading to greater conceptual understanding of the material presented. Research methods that have been used to investigate cognition and learning have traditionally included self-report questionnaires, focus groups, interviews and think-aloud protocols and, more recently in computer-based settings, interaction log file or ‘audit trail’ analysis. While all of these techniques help researchers understand students’ learning processes, all are limited in that they …


The 'Copy And Paste' Function: A Flawed Cognitive Tool In Need Of Redesign, Gwyn J. Brickell, Barry M. Harper, Michael Morgan Jan 2006

The 'Copy And Paste' Function: A Flawed Cognitive Tool In Need Of Redesign, Gwyn J. Brickell, Barry M. Harper, Michael Morgan

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper argues that the traditional version of the ‘copy and paste’ function used in many computer-mediated learning environments is a flawed cognitive tool for learning applications and may in fact subvert the constructivist philosophy of many learning packages. An initial study was conducted, using distributed cognition theory to redesign the interface of the ‘copy and paste’ function, to examine the efficacy of embedding a specific interaction strategy (reported in Morgan et al., 2006a, 2006b). The embedded interaction strategy involved summarisation note taking tasks and the results of this empirical study are outlined in order to establish the efficacy of …


The Use Of A Visual Learning Design Representation To Document And Communicate Teaching Ideas, Shirley Agostinho Jan 2006

The Use Of A Visual Learning Design Representation To Document And Communicate Teaching Ideas, Shirley Agostinho

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

A learning design is a representation of teaching and learning practice documented in some notational form so that it can serve as a model or template adaptable by a teacher to suit his/her context. This paper presents a work-in-progress of a research study that is examining how a learning design representation developed in an Australian federally funded project known as the Learning Designs project (www.learningdesigns.uow.edu.au) is being used. Eleven participants were interviewed to investigate how they are using the learning design representation and how such a representation could be improved. Preliminary findings indicate that the visual characteristic of this learning …


Grade 12 Mathematics Teachers' Views On Curriculum Reform In New South Wales, Paul L. Ayres, John M. Mccormick Jan 2006

Grade 12 Mathematics Teachers' Views On Curriculum Reform In New South Wales, Paul L. Ayres, John M. Mccormick

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper reports on teachers’ perceptions of major curriculum reform in New South Wales at the Higher School Certificate. Quantitative and qualitative data are presented. Measures of teacher self-efficacy and stress related to the innovation, as well as general perceptions of the implementation are reported. Mathematics teachers' views of the curriculum reform are also compared with those of other subject teachers.


Longitudinal Qualitative Research Design: Experience Over Time, Stacy M. Carter Jan 2006

Longitudinal Qualitative Research Design: Experience Over Time, Stacy M. Carter

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In this paper I examine time in qualitative researchdesign. I focus on a study design that is almost absent from the literature, inwhich qualitative data are collected repeatedly and prospectively from a cohort of individuals over a long period. I will refer to this design as longitudinal qualitative research, and argue that it carries risks and benefits. It heightens the need for ethical clarity, particularly in respect to repeated participation. Unless the aim is to examine a trajectory of experience, longitudinal design may diminish a study's explanatory power by making the sampling less purposive: commitments to long engagement must be …


What Makes A Screening Program Ethical?, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer Jan 2006

What Makes A Screening Program Ethical?, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Ethics, as a discipline, asks "is this decision, situation, program or policy good? Under what circumstances is it good? Why?". This paper applies these questions to screening: "Is screening good? Under what circumstances is it good? Why is it good?". Of course, the answer to these questions depends on how one defines "good". A consequentialist, for instance, will suggest that a screening program is good when it prevents or, at least, reduces harm and suffering1 whereas non-consequentialists are likely to take a rather different approach. In this short paper, I have room only to skate across the surface of these …


Research Within The Privacy Regulations: Problems And Solutions For Database Custodians, Ea Mulligan, Wendy Rogers, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer Jan 2006

Research Within The Privacy Regulations: Problems And Solutions For Database Custodians, Ea Mulligan, Wendy Rogers, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

State and Federal legislation governing health information and privacy in Australia is complex and relatively untested, causing confusion amongst database custodians as to what conduct is required. Some database custodians believe that providing privacy will allay public anxiety and consequently support research. Others argue that data managers have become fearful of litigation and that this will restrict the access of researchers to data. Two of the significant ethical issues to be considered are the right to privacy, and whether using information poses a risk to data subjects. Data custodians have sought to address concerns about privacy in two main ways. …


Conflicts Of Interest In Divisions Of General Practice, N Palmer, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer, Wendy Rogers, C Provis, G Cullity Jan 2006

Conflicts Of Interest In Divisions Of General Practice, N Palmer, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer, Wendy Rogers, C Provis, G Cullity

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Community-based healthcare organisations manage competing, and often conflicting, priorities. These conflicts can arise from the multiple roles these organisations take up, and from the diverse range of stakeholders to whom they must be responsive. Often such conflicts may be titled conflicts of interest; however, what precisely constitutes such conflicts and what should be done about them is not always clear. Clarity about the duties owed by organisations and the roles they assume can help identify and manage some of these conflicts. Taking divisions of general practice in Australia as an example, this paper sets out to distinguish two main types …


Effective Pre-School And Primary Education 3-11 Project (Eppe 3-11): The Effectiveness Of Primary Schools In England In Key Stage 2 For 2002, 2003 And 2004, Edward Melhuish, Helena Romaniuk, Pam Sammons, Kathy Sylva, Iram Siraj-Blatchford, Brenda Taggart Jan 2006

Effective Pre-School And Primary Education 3-11 Project (Eppe 3-11): The Effectiveness Of Primary Schools In England In Key Stage 2 For 2002, 2003 And 2004, Edward Melhuish, Helena Romaniuk, Pam Sammons, Kathy Sylva, Iram Siraj-Blatchford, Brenda Taggart

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This research brief reports the results of value added multilevel models to investigate pupil progress during Key Stage 2, controlling for prior attainment and other background factors, for all schools in England over a three year period (2002-4). These models build upon existing work on school effectiveness undertaken by DfES/Ofsted and others by incorporating further area-level variables, examining gender by ethnicity interactions and exploring differential effectiveness of primary schools for pupils with different levels of ability. The work is part of the wider Effective Pre-school and Primary Education 3-11 (EPPE 3-11) project which is studying the development and attainment of …


Effective Pre-School And Primary Education 3-11 Project (Eppe 3-11): Variations In Teacher And Pupil Behaviours In Year 5 Classes, Pam Sammons, Brenda Taggart, Iram Siraj-Blatchford, Kathy Sylva, Edward Melhuish, Sofka Barreau Jan 2006

Effective Pre-School And Primary Education 3-11 Project (Eppe 3-11): Variations In Teacher And Pupil Behaviours In Year 5 Classes, Pam Sammons, Brenda Taggart, Iram Siraj-Blatchford, Kathy Sylva, Edward Melhuish, Sofka Barreau

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The EPPE 3-11 Project builds on the work of the earlier Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) project, which was the first major longitudinal study in Europe to investigate the impact of pre-school provision on a national sample of young children, tracing their development between the ages of 3 and 7 years. EPPE 3-11 follows the same sample of 2500 plus children to age 11 years, the end of Key Stage 2 (KS2). This research brief reports the results of detailed observations of practice conducted in 125 Year 5 classes attended by EPPE children, and measures the variation in teachers' …


Variations In Teacher And Pupil Behaviours In Year 5 Classes, Pam Sammons, Brenda Taggart, Kathy Sylva, Edward Melhuish, Iram Siraj-Blatchford, Sofka Barreau, Laura Manni Jan 2006

Variations In Teacher And Pupil Behaviours In Year 5 Classes, Pam Sammons, Brenda Taggart, Kathy Sylva, Edward Melhuish, Iram Siraj-Blatchford, Sofka Barreau, Laura Manni

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The Effective Pre-school and Primary Education Project 3-11 (EPPE 3-11) involves a number of components of "Tiers" of research. Tier 1 involves the analysis of primary school effectiveness across all primary schools in England using value added approaches (Melhuish et al, 2006). Tier 2 focuses on following up the academic and social/behavioural progress of children in the original pre-school sample across Key Stage 2 of primary education (age 7 to 11 years). In the original EPPE research children were tracked from age 3 years to the end of Key Stage 1, at aged 7 years plus (see Appendix O for …


The Effectiveness Of Primary Schools In England In Key Stage 2 For 2002, 2003 And 2004, Edward Melhuish, Helena Romaniuk, Pam Sammons, Kathy Sylva, Iram Siraj-Blatchford, Brenda Taggart Jan 2006

The Effectiveness Of Primary Schools In England In Key Stage 2 For 2002, 2003 And 2004, Edward Melhuish, Helena Romaniuk, Pam Sammons, Kathy Sylva, Iram Siraj-Blatchford, Brenda Taggart

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This report covers children's progress during Key Stage 2 in all primary schools in England over a three year period (2002-2004). Value added multilevel models are used to investigate children's progress in Key Stage 2 by controlling for prior attainment, as well as several background influences. These analyses allow measurement of the extent to which children's progress can be attributed to the primary school attended. Primary schools where children make significantly greater progress than predicted (on the basis of prior attainment and intake characteristics) can be viewed as more effective and schools where children make less progress than predicted can …


Master-Planned Estates And Suburban Complexity, Robyn Dowling, Pauline M. Mcguirk Jan 2006

Master-Planned Estates And Suburban Complexity, Robyn Dowling, Pauline M. Mcguirk

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The establishment of new residential neighbourhoods - by builders, developers, government and residents - has been one of the defining features of twentieth century suburbs in general and western Sydney in particular. Recent years have witnessed a number of changes in the processes establishing these neighbourhoods: in the organisations and relationships providing them; in the political and planning processes governing their provision; in the ideologies underpinning them; and in the practices of everyday life constituting them. One of the more recent forms of residential neighbourhood is seen to exemplify these changes: master-planned communities, master-planned residential developments, or, in our preferred …


Stigma And Discrimination Related To Hiv/Aids: A Study Of The Iranian Community In The Sydney Metropolitan Area, Hassan Hosseinzadeh, Syeda Z. Hossain Jan 2006

Stigma And Discrimination Related To Hiv/Aids: A Study Of The Iranian Community In The Sydney Metropolitan Area, Hassan Hosseinzadeh, Syeda Z. Hossain

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the XVI International AIDS Conference, 13-18 August 2006, Toronto, Canada


Stigma And Discrimination Related To Hiv/Aids, Hassan Hosseinzadeh, Syeda Z. Hossain Jan 2006

Stigma And Discrimination Related To Hiv/Aids, Hassan Hosseinzadeh, Syeda Z. Hossain

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the Fifth Health Research Conference 2006, 9-10 November 2006, Leura, Australia


Meeting The Challenge Of Assessing In A Standards Based Education System, Jim S. Tognolini Jan 2006

Meeting The Challenge Of Assessing In A Standards Based Education System, Jim S. Tognolini

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The purpose of this report is to address a number of issues about assessment that have emerged as a consequence of the changes that have taken place since the inception of new Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) courses in Years 11 and 12 and to provide advice on how these issues might be resolved in the light of the recommendations of the Andrich report.


Factors Associated With Self-Efficacy For Condom Use And Sexual Negotiation Among South African Youth, Jennifer Sayles, Audrey Pettifor, Mitchell D. Wong, Catherine L. Mac Phail, Sung-Jae Lee, Ellen Hendriksen, Helen Rees, Thomas Coates Jan 2006

Factors Associated With Self-Efficacy For Condom Use And Sexual Negotiation Among South African Youth, Jennifer Sayles, Audrey Pettifor, Mitchell D. Wong, Catherine L. Mac Phail, Sung-Jae Lee, Ellen Hendriksen, Helen Rees, Thomas Coates

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objectives: To use logistic regression modeling to identify factors associated with high self-efficacy for sexual negotiation and condom use in a sample of South African youth. Methods: The Reproductive Health and HIV Research Unit (RHRU) National Youth Survey examined a nationally representative sample of 7409 sexually active South African youth aged 15 to 24 years. We used logistic regression modeling in this sample to identify factors associated with the main outcome of high self-efficacy. Results: Among female respondents (n = 3890), factors associated with high self-efficacy in the adjusted model were knowing how to avoid HIV (odds ratio [OR] = …


Roles Of Rifampicin In Drug-Drug Interactions: Underlying Molecular Mechanisms Involving Nuclear Receptor Pxr, Jiezhong Chen, Kenneth Raymond Jan 2006

Roles Of Rifampicin In Drug-Drug Interactions: Underlying Molecular Mechanisms Involving Nuclear Receptor Pxr, Jiezhong Chen, Kenneth Raymond

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Rifampicin, an important drug in the treatment of tuberculosis, is used extensively despite its broad effects on drug-drug interactions, creating serious problems. The clinical importance of such interactions includes autoinduction leading to suboptimal or failed treatment. The concomitantly administered effects of rifampicin on other drugs can result in their altered metabolism or transportation that are metabolised by cytochromes P450 or transported by p-glycoprotein in the gastrointestinal tract and liver. This review paper summarises recent findings with emphases on the molecular mechanisms used to explain these broad drug-drug interactions. In general, rifampicin can act on a pattern: rifampicin activates the nuclear …


Online Forum Discussion Interactions As An Indicator Of Student Community, Shane Dawson Jan 2006

Online Forum Discussion Interactions As An Indicator Of Student Community, Shane Dawson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Given the current diversity of communication tools at an educator's disposal, what role (if any) does the discussion forum play in the development of a strong sense of community among students? This study sought to investigate the relationship between discussion forum interaction and perceived student sense of community. The results of the study demonstrate that while mere quantity of discussion forum postings is not an indicator of community development, a significant relationship is observed when contributions are codified into the various discussion interaction types (learner -learner; learner - content; system), An implication emerging from these findings is the ability for …