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Venturing Beyond Youtube: Learning The Language Of Appraisal, Beverly M. Derewianka
Venturing Beyond Youtube: Learning The Language Of Appraisal, Beverly M. Derewianka
Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)
A major function of language is to enable the expression of interpersonal meanings - feelings, opinions, judgements, humour, and so on. Generally, however, this important aspect of language competency is not taught explicitly, possibly because such meanings are so deeply embedded in the culture that even native speakers are not consciously aware of how they employ these subtle resources. Drawing on the tools provided by appraisal theory, the paper considers the interpersonal demands made on English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) students as they learn to write responses to popular media texts, in this case, Summer Heights High. …
Teaching And Learning Business Innovation By Successive Approximations, Jorge E. Fernandez-Pol
Teaching And Learning Business Innovation By Successive Approximations, Jorge E. Fernandez-Pol
Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)
This paper describes a strategy for teaching and learning business innovation by successive approximations. This novel strategy has two major sources: the book An Introduction to the Creative Economy by Pol and Carroll (2007), and intense observation of how novices learn the discipline. I will draw an analogy between the observation of an unknown planet and the study of business innovation as a tool for helping participants to connect with the suggested pedagogical approach. In essence, the approach consists of three approximations: first, identification of the dimensions or areas that are of absolutely fundamental importance for teaching and learning business …
Improved And Generalized Learning Strategies For Dynamically Fast And Statistically Robust Evolutionary Algorithms, Yogesh Dashora, Sanjeev Kumar, Nagesh Shukla, M K. Tiwari
Improved And Generalized Learning Strategies For Dynamically Fast And Statistically Robust Evolutionary Algorithms, Yogesh Dashora, Sanjeev Kumar, Nagesh Shukla, M K. Tiwari
Faculty of Engineering - Papers (Archive)
This paper characterizes general optimization problems into four categories based on the solution representation schemes, as they have been the key to the design of various evolutionary algorithms (EAs). Four EAs have been designed for different formulations with the aim of utilizing similar and generalized strategies for all of them. Several modifications to the existing EAs have been proposed and studied. First, a new tradeoff function-based mutation has been proposed that takes advantages of Cauchy, Gaussian, random as well as chaotic mutations. In addition, a generalized learning rule has also been proposed to ensure more thorough and explorative search. A …
Understanding The Relationship Between Curriculum, Pedagogy And Progression In Learning In Early Childhood, Iram Siraj-Blatchford
Understanding The Relationship Between Curriculum, Pedagogy And Progression In Learning In Early Childhood, Iram Siraj-Blatchford
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
This paper provides mutually reinforcing definitions for the terms 'Curriculum' and 'Pedagogy' are applied in an attempt to provide further clarification of the learning processes involved in 'Co-construction' and 'Sustained Shared Thinking'. The implications for pedagogic progression and for understanding early childhood practices are also identified. The theoretical model is then applied in support of the English Early Years Foundation Stage against charges of inappropriate 'schoolification '. The paper also provides in outline a new typology of early childhood educational practices.
Teaching Smarter: How Mining Ict Data Can Inform And Improve Learning And Teaching Practice, Shane P. Dawson, Erica Mcwilliam, Jen Pei-Ling Tan
Teaching Smarter: How Mining Ict Data Can Inform And Improve Learning And Teaching Practice, Shane P. Dawson, Erica Mcwilliam, Jen Pei-Ling Tan
Graduate School of Medicine - Papers (Archive)
The trend to greater adoption of online learning in higher education institutions means an increased opportunity for instructors and administrators to monitor student activity and interaction with the course content and peers. This paper demonstrates how the analysis of data captured from various IT systems could be used to inform decision making process for university management and administration. It does so by providing details of a large research project designed to identify the range of applications for LMS derived data for informing strategic decision makers and teaching staff. The visualisation of online student engagement/effort is shown to afford instructors with …
Improving Learning In Engineering Mechanics: The Significance Of Understanding, Thomas L. Goldfinch, Anna L. Carew, Timothy J. Mccarthy
Improving Learning In Engineering Mechanics: The Significance Of Understanding, Thomas L. Goldfinch, Anna L. Carew, Timothy J. Mccarthy
Faculty of Engineering - Papers (Archive)
Mechanics is a key foundation topic for many engineering disciplines, the study of which usually constitutes a significant proportion of first and second year engineering undergraduate studies. Many engineering students experience substantial difficulties with introductory mechanics, and it is widely noted in the literature that pass rates in mechanics courses tend to be unacceptably low. This paper details the interim findings of, and issues arising from a literature search focusing on how engineering educators understand, describe, identify and deal with the causes of poor performance in introductory mechanics. The most striking conclusion drawn from this literature search is the lack …
Using Marking Criteria To Improve Learning: An Evaluation Of Student Perceptions, Swapna Koshy
Using Marking Criteria To Improve Learning: An Evaluation Of Student Perceptions, Swapna Koshy
University of Wollongong in Dubai - Papers
This paper is an exploratory study on the use of Marking Criteria in the offshore campus of an Australian University in the Middle East. The purpose of the study is to analyse student attitudes to the use of Marking Criteria with a view to maximizing its use. Most educators agree that assessment plays a key role in education and the use of Marking Criteria helps to streamline assessment. The study notes that most students were aware of the benefits of reviewing criteria before they worked on an assessment but few actually used it. The paper offers ways to help students …
Group Work For Freshmen Students: A Positive Learning Experience?, Swapna Koshy
Group Work For Freshmen Students: A Positive Learning Experience?, Swapna Koshy
University of Wollongong in Dubai - Papers
Group assignments have been used in tertiary education for decades. However, its feasibility in a class of multi-skilled freshmen with diverse educational cultures was a point of concern. This paper studies the effectiveness of a newly introduced group project on the learning habits and outcomes of freshmen students. Group assignments should be devised so as to promote collaborative learning and should not be a means to divide work. Especially with young students the teacher has to play an active role monitoring groups’ progress and ensuring that work is divided equally and rationally so as to maximise learning for every group …
New Technologies, New Pedagogies: Mobile Technologies And New Ways Of Teaching And Learning, Janice Herrington, Jessica Mantei, Anthony Herrington, Ian W. Olney, Brian Ferry
New Technologies, New Pedagogies: Mobile Technologies And New Ways Of Teaching And Learning, Janice Herrington, Jessica Mantei, Anthony Herrington, Ian W. Olney, Brian Ferry
Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)
This paper describes a major development and research study that investigated the use of mobile technologies in higher education. The project investigated the educational potential of two ubiquitous mobile devices: Palm smart phones and iPod digital audio players (mp3 players). An action learning framework for professional development was designed and implemented with a group of teachers from a Faculty of Education. Each teacher or team created pedagogies to implement appropriate use of a mobile device in different subject areas in higher education. This paper describes the project aims, design and implementation in four phases, together with a description of the …
Busy Doing Nothing: Researching The Phenomenon Of Quiet Time In Outdoor Experiential Learning, Garry Hoban, Valerie Nicholls, Tonia L. Gray
Busy Doing Nothing: Researching The Phenomenon Of Quiet Time In Outdoor Experiential Learning, Garry Hoban, Valerie Nicholls, Tonia L. Gray
Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)
Grounded in the philosophy and practices of experiential learning, wilderness therapy programming is increasingly regarded as an effective alternative to more traditional forms of therapy for people identified as at risk or vulnerable. Typically, within the context of remote and natural environments, wilderness therapy utilises adventure activities such as kayaking, caving, abseiling, and bushwalking to promote positive attitudinal and behavioural change. Whilst the authors respect action and challenge as critical elements in the experiential learning cycle, this paper will examine the antithesis: Quiet Time in wilderness therapy.
Learning Design: Concepts, Susan J. Bennett, Rob Koper
Learning Design: Concepts, Susan J. Bennett, Rob Koper
Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)
Crucial in any learning process are the activities that learners undertake: reading, thinking, discussing, exploring, problem solving, etc. When learners are passive you cannot expect them to learn much. The primary role of any instructional agent, whether it is a teacher, the learners themselves or a computer, is to stimulate the performance of learning activities that will gradually result in the attainment of the learning objectives. The instructional agent defines the tasks, provides the contexts and resources to perform the tasks, supports the learner during task performance and provides feedback about the results. The learning activities that are needed to …
Constructivist-Based Learning Using Location-Aware Mobile Technology: An Exploratory Study, P. Anand, Anthony J. Herrington, Shirley Agostinho
Constructivist-Based Learning Using Location-Aware Mobile Technology: An Exploratory Study, P. Anand, Anthony J. Herrington, Shirley Agostinho
Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)
Mobile wireless technologies have the potential to exploit its location-awareness capabilities to engage learners in constructivist collaborative learning activities yet there is little research that explores this capability. This paper is a report of work-in-progress on an exploratory study that seeks to identify ways in which the location-awareness feature of mobile wireless devices could be used to create constructivist-based learning activities. A literature review of existing mobile learning applications suggests the potential of using location-awareness feature of mobile wireless devices for learning and teaching applications, however, little research has been done to implement such as system so far. This study …
Psdboost: Matrix-Generation Linear Programming For Positive Semidefinite Matrices Learning, Chunhua Shen, Alan Welsh, Lei Wang
Psdboost: Matrix-Generation Linear Programming For Positive Semidefinite Matrices Learning, Chunhua Shen, Alan Welsh, Lei Wang
Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A
In this work, we consider the problem of learning a positive semidefinite matrix. The critical issue is how to preserve positive semidefiniteness during the course of learning. Our algorithm is mainly inspired by LPBoost [1] and the general greedy convex optimization framework of Zhang [2]. We demonstrate the essence of the algorithm, termed PSDBoost (positive semidefinite Boosting), by focusing on a few different applications in machine learning. The proposed PSDBoost algorithm extends traditional Boosting algorithms in that its parameter is a positive semidefinite matrix with trace being one instead of a classifier. PSDBoost is based on the observation that any …
Exploring The Contribution Of Play To Social Capital In Institutional Adult Learning Settings, Pauline J. Harris, John Daley
Exploring The Contribution Of Play To Social Capital In Institutional Adult Learning Settings, Pauline J. Harris, John Daley
Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)
This paper explores how play as an educational tool can enhance social capital for adult learners in institutional settings. Framed by conceptualisations of social capital (Putnam 1993, 2000) and play (Melamed 1987, Meares 2005, Vygotsky 1978) and supported by research literature on play in adult learning, our action research in our adult education classes focuses on cooperative forms of play in which pretend, role-play, improvisation, playful activities and a playful mindset were key components. We investigate these play experiences in terms of their implications for nurturing adult learners’ social capital. Our preliminary findings to date reveal that play contributes to …
Enabling Authentic Cross-Disciplinary Learning Through A Scaffolded Assignment In A Blended Environment, Anne Abraham, Hazel J. Jones
Enabling Authentic Cross-Disciplinary Learning Through A Scaffolded Assignment In A Blended Environment, Anne Abraham, Hazel J. Jones
Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)
This paper reports on the development of a scaffolded learning assignment with blendedcomponents in a cross-disciplinary setting. The assignment has been developed in a socioculturalcontext, based on a Vygotskian approach and this paper details the design anddevelopment of the assignment. The five stages of the assignment have been carefullyscaffolded and include elements of individual and group tasks, finishing with an individualreflection on the process. Formative assessment and associated feedback are importantelements of the scaffolding and suggestions for further applications for the learning designof the assignment are suggested.
Preferred Learning Methods: Comparisons Between International And Domestic Accounting Students, Indra Abeysekera
Preferred Learning Methods: Comparisons Between International And Domestic Accounting Students, Indra Abeysekera
Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)
This study provides a comparison between the preferred learning modes (traditional, interactive, group case-based lectures) of international and domestic students undertaking a new undergraduate accounting topic at an Australian university. A Likert-scale survey questionnaire was used to determine the differences and similarities between the two groups. When the results are analysed using the Hofstede model of societal cultural dimensions, they indicate significant differences between the two groups of students with regard to their preferences for formal versus interactive and group case-based lectures. The paper provides a discussion of the implications of these findings for teaching methods, assessment and curriculum development.