Digital Commons Network^™

Simplifying Animation With "Slowmation" To Encourage Preservice Teachers' Science Learning And Teaching, Garry F. Hoban, David C. Macdonald, Brian Ferry, Sharon Hoban

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Preservice elementary teachers often lack science content knowledge which reduces their confidence to implement the subject in school classrooms. “Slowmation” (abbreviated from “Slow Animation”) is a new yet simplified form of stop-motion animation that encourages preservice teachers to engage with science content because they create their own animations to represent key concepts. This paper presents a study of 29 preservice elementary teachers in a science method class to ascertain if they improved their science knowledge when they created their own animations and whether they used the approach to teach science in classrooms on practicum. Qualitative data (three interviews, two concept …

An Examination Of Learning Design Descriptions In A Repository, Shirley Agostinho, Susan J. Bennett, Lori Lockyer, Lisa Kosta, Jennifer Jones, Barry Harper

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

The past decade has seen a significant expansion of flexible learning in higher education as new communication technologies have broadened the scope and potential for online learning. With this expansion has come the need for pedagogically sound learning experiences and an interest in reusing effective pedagogical designs. The concept of a ‘learning design’ - a formalism for documenting educational practice to facilitate sharing and reuse by teachers, is being researched as one way of supporting dissemination of ‘best practice’. This paper reports an analytical study that sought to advance understanding of what constitutes an effective learning design description based on …

Q-Learning Algorithm For Navigation Control Of Autonomous Blimp, Yiwei Liu, Zengxi Pan, David A. Stirling, Fazel Naghdy

Faculty of Engineering - Papers (Archive)

In this research, an autonomous control system for blimp navigation was developed using reinforcement learning algorithm. The aim of this research is to provide a blimp the capability to approach a goal position autonomously in an environment, where the dynamical models of the blimp and the environment are unknown. Webots™ Robotics Simulator (WRS) was used to simulate and evaluate the control strategy obtained through a one-step Q-learning method. The simulation data generated via WRS were then processed and analysed within MATLAB. The simulation results showed that the control policy acquired from Q-learning is much more effective compared to the traditional …

Sharing Quality Resources For Teaching And Learning: A Peer Review Model For The Altc Exchange In Australia, Geraldine Lefoe, Robyn Philip, Meg O'Reilly, Dominique Parrish

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The ALTC Exchange (formerly the Carrick Exchange), is a national repository and networking service for Australian higher education. The Exchange was designed to provide access to a repository of shared learning and teaching resources, work spaces for team members engaged in collaborative projects, and communication and networking services. The Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) established the Exchange for those who teach, manage and lead learning and teaching in higher education. As part of the research conducted to inform the development of the Exchange, models for peer review of educational resources were evaluated. For this, a design based research approach …

Learning Pattern Classification Tasks With Imbalanced Data Sets, Son Lam Phung, Abdesselam Bouzerdoum, Giang Hoang Nguyen

Faculty of Informatics - Papers (Archive)

This chapter is concerned with the class imbalance problem, which has been recognised as a crucial problem in machine learning and data mining. The problem occurs when there are significantly fewer training instances of one class compared to another class.

The Use Of Technology To Support Student Learning, Anne L. Porter, Norhayati Baharun

Faculty of Informatics - Papers (Archive)

This paper presents the results of a case study investigating the use of technology i.e. video resources in teaching statistics to 40 Health Informatics post-graduate students at the University of Wollongong. The purpose of the study is to investigate if the use of such technology has some impact on student learning outcomes in terms of their understanding of topics and level of anxiety in learning the subject. The findings from the study reveal that students were concerned about their learning of the subject and they found that the use of videos as teaching and learning tools in the subject was …

Transforming Higher Education Through Learning-Oriented Assessment, Mike Keppell, Dominique Parrish

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Outcomes By the completion of the workshop participants will be able to: • Recognise the distinct characteristics of a learning-oriented assessment task • Determine the appropriateness of learning-oriented assessment for their own context • Design a learning-oriented assessment task for a subject they are currently teaching • Examine a model for transforming and leading change in higher education through learning-oriented assessment • Explore potential avenues for transforming and leading change in assessment in the university setting.

E-Learning Barriers In The United Arab Emirates: Preliminary Results From An Empirical Investigation, Lejla Vrazalic, Robert C. Macgregor, D Behl, Jean Fitzgerald

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

E-learning is relatively new to the United Arab Emirates. Most tertiary institutions have allocated ICT resources to provide alternatives to the previously used teacher-centred "chalk and talk" approach to learning and teaching. However we have not yet developed a comprehensive understanding of the application of e-learning methods and resources in the tertiary education sector in the UAE. This paper describes a collaborative research project which empirically investigated the perceived barriers to e-learning for students studying at tertiary institutions in the UAE using an online questionnaire. The paper analyses the associations between e-learning barriers and students' age and gender. The ease …

Challenges Of The Large Survey Subject: Teaching And Learning How To Read History, Georgine W. Clarsen

Faculty of Arts - Papers (Archive)

The large survey subject is a challenge to all humanities, but many of the problems it poses are specific to each discipline. This paper tracks the difficulties of teaching a first year university history subject, as class sizes increase and the traditional tutorial delivery mode is under pressure through fiscal constraints and administrative policy. It utilises the emerging literature on teaching and learning history, History SoTL, which reflects a new interest in disciplinary-specific pedagogical practices. This paper outlines the moves I have made - in keeping with the recent historiographical emphasis on developing students' historical consciousness, rather than simply expecting …

Validating The Slowmation Learning Design: Comparing A Learning Design With Students' Experiences Of Learning, Garry Hoban, Wendy Nielsen, David Macdonald, Brian Ferry

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

A slowmation (abbreviated from slow-motion animation) is a narrated animation designed and made by learners that is played in slow motion at 2 frames/second to explain a science concept. The purpose of this study was to compare the proposed learning design of a slowmation with the actual learning experiences of three preservice primary teachers as they created an animation about an obscure topic over a period of two hours. A range of data gathering methods were used to document the students’ learning experiences including individual interviews before and after creation to ascertain their pre and post knowledge as well as …

Learning To Write, Catherine Cole

Faculty of Creative Arts - Papers (Archive)

A few months ago an article by the distinguished American author and academic Louis Menand appeared in the New Yorker, asking whether creativewriting can or should be taught. Now I've nothing against the substance of Menand's question - about the methods and value of teaching - but I'm weary of it almost always being asked only of writing programs. Can music, for example, be taught? Should painting or literature or history be taught?

Project Based Learning In The First Year Engineering Curriculum, Brad Stappenbelt, Chris Rowles

Faculty of Engineering - Papers (Archive)

This paper examines the implementation of a project-based learning approach in the first year engineering curriculum at the University of Western Australia (UWA). As part of this initiative, the Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Challenge was employed as the focus of student activity within the core undergraduate unit Introduction to Professional Engineering. This unit is the foundation of the professional development component of the engineering degree at UWA. The EWB Challenge provided students with the opportunity to learn about professional engineering whilst contributing towards a real international development project. To create a successful project based learning environment, a comprehensive tutor training …

Links Are Not Enough: Using Originality Reports To Improve Academic Standards, Compliance And Learning Outcomes Among Postgraduate Students, Grace Mccarthy, Ann M. Rogerson

Sydney Business School - Papers

Training students on the interpretation of originality reports generated by an electronic evaluation tool can assist with the reduction of unintentional plagiarism. An initial trial by the Sydney Business School, a postgraduate faculty of the University of Wollongong, has demonstrated that a proactive approach, based on pedagogical principles, can have a positive impact on the improvement of student writing skills when compared to a retributive justice approach reliant on a student’s ability and initiative in accessing internet support resources. This paper argues that higher education should not rely on links to internet based information, policies, and systems, to educate students …

Learning Contemporary P'Ansori Pieces By Atherton And Lee: A Performer's Perspective, Lotte Latukefu

Faculty of Creative Arts - Papers (Archive)

This collection of essays published by the Australian Music Centre tackles an often mentioned but surprisingly little analysed topic. Music of the Spirit - Asian-Pacific Musical Identity consists of 18 refereed papers by prominent composers, artists and academics. The subjects of individual essays range from the use of Asian-Pacific musics in composition in the primary school classroom, to reinterpreting shakuhachi traditions in a contemporary music context. There are also many analytical articles focusing on specific works by Australian composers, including Ross Edwards, Clare Maclean and Andrián Pertout, as well as texts written from a performer's perspective. The essays in Music …

Using Marking Criteria To Improve Learning: An Evaluation Of Student Perceptions, Swapna Koshy

University of Wollongong in Dubai - Papers

No abstract provided.

"Authentic" Learning Experiences: What Does This Mean And Where Is The Literacy Learning?, Jessica Mantei, Lisa K. Kervin

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Teachers are challenged to adopt practices that facilitate the development of “necessary” skills and strategies for learners. For many, however, what is required in policy and curricula is increasingly obscured and even confusing as teachers are bombarded with jargon prescribing seemingly similar (yet apparently different) approaches such as “rich tasks”, “big questions” and “fertile questions” that are to be “relevant”, “authentic” and “engaging” for the learner. Barton and Hamilton (2000) argue that literacy learning should take the learner beyond the transmission of technical skills in the classroom to an understanding of its role within a community’s cultural practices. These literacy …

One Teacher's Response To Literacy Learning And Teaching Using Technology, Lisa K. Kervin, Pauline T. Jones

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

The federal government’s pledge for increased access to computers for students has been held up as “groundbreaking reform” as “digital schools” become a reality for more students. However, access to technology remains uneven across schools, student competency levels differ and teacher expertise varies considerably. Incorporating new technologies such as laptops, wireless connectivity, smartboards and mobile communication devices into interactive practices frequently requires rethinking configurations of curriculum, bodies and space.

Teachers are experts in pedagogy, but not necessarily in technology. It is vital that teachers are acknowledged for the considerable knowledge they have about their profession – what constitutes ‘good’ pedagogy, …

Establishing Design Principles For Online Synchronous Literacy Learning For Indigenous Learners, Michelle J. Eady, Anthony Herrington, Caroline Jones

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Synchronous learning has the potential to provide literacy and essential skills training to Indigenous learners living in remote and isolated communities. Although there is considerable research completed in the area of internet-based learning technologies in general, there is very little research in the area of online synchronous learning opportunities for remote Indigenous learners. This paper presents the results and theoretical framework of the first and second phases of a four phase design-based research approach that aims to establish design principles to guide the future development of synchronous online literacy services for Indigenous learners living in remote Australian communities.

Investigating Lecturers' Use Of Learning Designs To Support Technology Enhanced Course Design, Jennifer Jones, Susan J. Bennett, Lori Lockyer

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

The effective integration of technology into teaching and learning has been a focus of universities and governments for the past decade. Yet progress towards this goal has been limited to date. Knowledge of how to integrate technology has become a necessity for university lecturers and effective models of support are needed to facilitate this often challenging process. However, little is known about how the individual lecturer designs and what methods of support might best help his or her knowledge of how to integrate technology. One reason that this area has been under-researched may be the inherent challenges in investigating design …

What Spaces? Designing Authentic, Sustainable Online Learning Spaces For Children With Diabetes, Shirley Agostinho, Richard Sprod, Barry Harper

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper presents a work-in-progress of how social networking, Web 2.0 and emerging communication technologies might be successfully used to support authentic self-management education for children aged 11-13 years who are living with Type 1 diabetes. The study employs a mixed-method approach that has been adopted within a Design Based Research framework. This paper explains the research problem, the theoretical framework that will underpin the study and the overall research design.

Learning Or Performance: Predicting Drivers Of Student Motivation, Shane P. Dawson, Leah Macfadyen, Lori Lockyer

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

There is substantial research demonstrating that a student’s motivation for learning can be largely explained in terms of their preferred achievement orientation. This paper explores a case study investigating ICT derived lead indicators of student achievement orientation, and therefore underlying motivations. The study incorporated Tan’s (2009) research on learning dispositions to quantify student achievement orientations. These findings were then correlated with student LMS data to identify if patterns of online behaviour are indicative of the observed achievement orientation scores. The results suggest that there is a significant correlation between student achievement orientation and participation in discussion forums. Students reporting a …

Using Brain Imaging To Explore Interactivity And Cognition In Multimedia Learning Environments, Barney Dalgarno, Gregor Kennedy, Sue 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, problembased 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 …

Project Pandora: Student Teaching And Learning (Resources) Tool Box, Mark F. Loves

Faculty of Law - Papers (Archive)

Feedback from post graduate domestic and international students has highlighted the difficulties many have in coping with academic expectations of critical analytical thinking, reading and writing skills, academic language, referencing and expectations surrounding plagiarism and assessment. Many international students indicate that these concepts are unique to Australian tertiary institutions and that they struggle with their application. For these reasons, in late 2007 under the auspices of a Law Faculty Scholarship, the Centre for Transnational Crime Prevention (CTCP) commenced collaborative work with the University of Wollongong Centre for Educational Development and Interactive Resources (CEDIR), the Learning Development Support Centre, the University …

Community Capacity Building: Learning From The 2003 Canberra Bushfires, Gail Winkworth, Christine Healy, Merrilyn Woodward, Peter J. Camilleri

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Research into what happens to communities after disasters is one way of understanding the elements of community capacity building and the actions that help and hinder these processes. In recent years a number of large scale disasters both onshore and offshore have become the focus of Australian State and Commonwealth disaster recovery efforts. These have provided opportunities to reflect on successful elements of 'community recovery' including what 'communities' do themselves to assist 'recovery' and what governments can do to enable and actively facilitate the 'recovery' process. Through an examination of a recent study on the recovery of people affected by …

Crocodiles And Polar Bears: Technology And Learning In Indigenous Australian And Canadian Communities, Michelle J. Eady, Alison Reedy

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Crocodile infisted, swollen rivers, Troop Carriers, light planes and red dirt typifY the landscape of remote tropical Northern Territory in Australia. In contrast, the remote landscape in for northwestern Ontario in Canada is characterised by rough terrain, snow and ice, sea planes and sometimes even polar bears. 1he traditional owners of the land in these two very dijferent locations foce similar issues in accessing adult learning and ongoing educational opportunities. 1his paper compares and contrasts the experiences of two groups of adult Indigenous students, one from the northern Australian tropics and one from for Northwestern Ontario, and examines the ways …

Establishing A Project Based Learning Environment For First Year Engineering Students, Brad Stappenbelt

Faculty of Engineering - Papers (Archive)

A project-based learning environment was recently established for first-year engineering students at the University of Western Australia. At the focus of this educational approach was a real international development project run within the core undergraduate unit Introduction to Professional Engineering. Students embarking on the professional development component of the engineering degree were traditionally taught about the role of the engineer, social and cultural engineering considerations, the multi-disciplinary nature of large engineering projects and team working and communication skills with minimal involvement in project and group work. The various concepts covered were treated primarily on an abstract theoretical level. Despite the …

Consumers' Difficulty With Learning By Analogy Of Really New Products: Selection Criteria Of Effective Analogies, Amina Ait El Houssi

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Research in marketing and consumer behavior has suggested that analogies may be useful to enhance consumer learning of really new products. However, mixed results on the effectiveness of analogies have also been found indicating the risk of communication failure. In this paper several aspects of analogical thought that may negatively influence the use of analogies as learning devices for really new products are identified. For effective use of consumer learning by analogy of really new products several criteria are proposed for the selection of an appropriate analogy. In an exploratory study these criteria are used to find explanation for the …

Assessing And Building Innovation And Learning Capacity In Local Organizations, Samuel Garrett-Jones

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Conceptual models of regional innovation systems have prompted major government initiatives in Europe and North America to assess and to promote local innovation and learning capabilities. In Australia, by contrast, local governments and other local organizations concerned with economic and social development are faltering. Lacking is (1) a conceptual understanding of local knowledge and innovation networks; (2) data on local innovation actors and activities; and (3) clarity on the most effective ways for municipal and regional government to 'construct advantage' in a federal system. The paper reviews the 'macro' (e.g. innovation surveys) and 'micro' (e.g. case studies) approach to assessing …