Digital Commons Network^™

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Dive In 2005 - A Cd Rom In 'Student Speak' For First Year Students, Pauline Lysaght, Russell Walton

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper reports on the development of a CD-ROM for undergraduate students beginning their first year of study in 2005 in the Faculty of Education at the University of Wollongong. The CD (entitled Dive In 2005: A Guide for Beginning Education Students) includes information about many aspects of university life ranging from general policies, procedures and resources to facultyspecific items that support the academic and social life of Education students. An innovative feature of Dive In 2005 is the degree of involvement of “experienced” undergraduate students at every level of its production. By drawing on the wisdom of these continuing …

Vygotskyan Inner Speech And The Reading Process, John F. Ehrich

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

There is a paucity of Vygotskian influenced inner speech research in relation to the reading process. Those few studies which have examined Vygotskian inner speech from a reading perspective tend to support the notion that inner speech is an important covert function that is crucial to the reading process and to reading acquisition in general. However, Vygotskian notions on inner speech, in particular, syntactic and semantic aspects of inner speech (e.g., predication, word sense and agglutination), have not been investigated in relation to the study of the decoding aspects of silent reading. In this paper, an argument is presented that …

In Whose Name? Mapping Voice And Vision In A Critical Examination Of Literature On Literacy In The Lower Primary School Years, Pauline J. Harris, Lisa K. Kervin

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper presents the outcomes of a critical analysis of journal art icles, government reports and agendas on l iteracy in lower Primary classrooms. While different voices and perspectives clearly emerge, our concern is not engaging with or promoting par ticular viewpoints and agendas per se. Rather, this paper moves beyond debate to focus on mapping these voices onto the kinds of literacy/ies they characterise, the instructional practices they port ray, the research frameworks they ut ilise, the issues they art iculate, the groups they represent, the venues in which they are heard, the audiences to which they speak, and …

Identifying Authentic Mobile Learning In Teacher Education: A Design-Based Approach, Anthony J. Herrington, Janice A. Herrington

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

The adoption of mobile technologies in higher education has been variable and inconsistent across the sector. Little is known about how people learn best from mobile devices such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants and portable digital audio players, and yet these are the technologies of choice of a generation of young adults who are proficient and competent in their use. This paper describes a project to explore, implement and document pedagogies that go beyond the use of mobile technologies for information delivery and communication. It describes a design-based approach to researching the use of mobile devices as cognitive tools …

Teaching Games For Understanding - 10 Years In Australia, Philip J. Pearson, Paul I. Webb, Kim Mckeen

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

TGfU was introduced to the Australian sporting community in 1996, through workshops presented by Rod Thorpe who was visiting from Loughborough University, England. Now, 10 years on, with the concept having been the focus of many coaching workshops and professional development sessions for physical education teachers and sports coaches, one would expect that TGfU would be well known and utilised among these groups.

This paper reports on the knowledge, understanding and experience that first year physical and health education students at an Australian university have on TGfU. Seventy students were surveyed by questionnaire and then actively engaged in a variety …

A Model For Professional Development Of Teaching Games For Understanding For Teachers In New South Wales, Australia, Paul I. Webb, Philip J. Pearson, Kim Mckeen

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

With the advent of a new syllabus for secondary schools (years 7-10) and a quality teaching focus in New South Wales schools the Australian Council of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (ACHPER, New South Wales) determined that there was a need for the professional development of teachers in teaching games for understanding (TGfU) and relating this to the new syllabus. The result was a full day professional development workshop for teachers of which five have been held and which approximately 200 teachers have attended. This paper will address the content of the workshop and respondents comments about the workshop.

The …

Teaching Games For Understanding (Tgfu); A Model For Pre Service Teachers, Gregory J. Forrest, Paul I. Webb, Philip J. Pearson

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) has been present in the Australian sporting community for the last ten years and more recently as the focus of physical education lessons in some Australian schools’ curriculum, especially in NSW. However, the effectiveness of TGfU as a teaching method is limited by the skill of its practitioners in developing the appropriate games and questions to generate understanding opportunities for their students. If practitioners do not develop these skills, there may be limited opportunities for their students to gain skills in critical analysis, deep knowledge and deep understanding, essential in any productive pedagogy.

Linking Teaching Games For Understanding And Quality Teaching In Nsw Secondary Schools, Philip J. Pearson, Paul I. Webb, Kim Mckeen

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

A discussion paper entitled Quality teaching in NSW public schools (Department of Education and Training, 2003) has been developed to improve teaching practice and hence student learning outcomes. The model of pedagogy outlined in this document focuses on the three dimensions of intellectual quality, quality learning environment and significance.

Elements associated with these dimensions such as deep understanding, higher order thinking, student direction and inclusivity can be difficult for teachers to implement into practical lessons. When effectively implemented TGfU is one strategy that allows teachers to address these elements when teaching games in physical education and sport. TGfU places an …

The Perception And Production Of Phones And Tones: The Role Of Rigid And Non-Rigid Face And Head Motion, Denis Burnham, Jessica Reynolds, Eric Vatikiotis-Bateson, Hani Yehia, Valter Ciocca, Rua Haszard Morris, Harold Hill, Guillaume Vignali, Sandra Bollwerk, Helen Tam, Caroline Jones

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

There is evidence, mostly with phones (consonants & vowels), that visual concomitants of articulation facilitate speech perception. Here the visual concomitants of lexical tone are considered. In tone languages fundamental frequency variations signal lexical meaning. In a word identification experiment with auditory-visual words differing only in tone, Cantonese perceivers performed above chance in a Visual Only condition. A subsequent study showed augmentation of word pair discrimination in noise in an Auditory-Visual compared to an Auditory Only condition for Cantonese, tonal Thai speakers, and even non-tone Australian speakers). The source of this perceptual information was sought in an OPTOTRAK production study …

Evaluating Online Mathematics Resources: A Practical Approach For Teachers, Boris Handal, Parvan Handal, Anthony J. Herrington

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Gradually Internet-based educational resources are making their way into the school mathematics curriculum (Handal & Herrington, 2003). Online resources are potentially useful compared to normal courseware because of their abundance, availability at no cost, platform-free accessibility, and their wide reaching accessibility. On the other hand, a major limitation of online resources is their lack of appropriate pedagogy, coupled with poor instructional design and layout. According to Alessi and Trollip (2001, p. 392), “The tendency for the Web to be used only for presentation of materials greatly restricts its instructional potential”.

Classsim: Preparing Tomorrows Teachers For Classroom Reality, Lisa K. Kervin, Brian Ferry, Lisa A. Carrington

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper reports on an on-line simulation that we have developed to support our pre-service teacher education program. The purpose of this paper is three fold: first it reports on the need identified within the literature for pre-service teacher education to make stronger connections between the theory of their university experience with classroom reality; second it reports on the creation of a prototype version of simulation software (ClassSim) developed to engage pre-service teachers in decision-making processes within a virtual classroom environment; third it reports on our research where the software was used with a cohort of 186 pre-service teachers.

Scaffolding Learners In Authentic, Problem-Based E-Learning Environments: The Geography Challenge, Janice A. Herrington, Gwyn J. Brickell

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

The affordances of online learning technologies have enabled more widespread development of learning environments that facilitate the exploration and solving of complex and realistic problems. In this paper, we describe the design of a real world geography problem, embedded within a web environment that is facilitated by an onsite excursion for data collection. The learning environment has been designed to deliberately address known problems associated with the problem solving approach, specifically in regard to three issues, and uses scaffolding prompts and supports embedded within the environment to facilitate student learning. The paper describes the theoretical foundations for the approach, the …

Young, Fast And Dead: A Fresh Perspective From The Early Driving Group, Amanda Burrell, Tonia L. Gray

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Risk taking behaviour is synonymous with adolescence. Moreover, epidemiological statistics associated with early driver deaths in Australia paint a disturbing picture. There is considerable debate about the effectiveness of advertising and marketing as a prophylactic to unsafe driving behaviours. This paper discusses the search for innovative approaches to road safety campaigns by accessing the perceptions of the novice driver group. A case scenario was developed by reviewing current literature on adolescent health behaviour, risk awareness, road safety and marketing communication. Initial findings from a pilot study with members of the early driving group, imply that they, as members of the …

Fostering Communities Of Practice During The Creation Of An Online Classroom-Based Simulation, Brian Ferry, Lisa K. Kervin

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Working with and managing a team can be a challenge in any project development. This paper reports on how a team of researchers, an instructional designer, programmers and graphic artists worked within a community of practice, as simulation software was created and further developed. The simulated classroom represented in this software was designed to enhance the initial practicum experience of pre-service teachers. The teaching of literacy skills in primary schools framed the pedagogical focus of the software – one of the priority areas within primary schooling. We report on how research associated with each iteration of the simulation prototype software …

Teaching Science Concepts In Higher Education Classes With Slow Motion Animation (Slowmation), Garry Hoban, Brian Ferry

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Clay animation is a form of stop motion animation but is rarely used as a teaching approach in higher education classes because it is too tedious and time consuming. “Slow Motion Animation” (Slowmation) is a simplified form of clay animation that is different in four ways and can be completed in 1-2 hour tutorial or workshop: (i) models of science concepts are made and manipulated in the horizontal plane; (ii) a range of materials can be used; (iii) the animations are played at 2-6 frames per second; and (iv) science concepts are annotated with factual text. This study demonstrates how …