Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 30 of 35

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Literacy Practitioners' Perspectives On Adult Learning Needs And Technology Approaches In Indigenous Communities, Michelle J. Eady, Anthony Herrington, Caroline Jones Jan 2010

Literacy Practitioners' Perspectives On Adult Learning Needs And Technology Approaches In Indigenous Communities, Michelle J. Eady, Anthony Herrington, Caroline Jones

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Current reports of literacy rates in Australia indicate an ongoing gap in literacy skills between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian adults, at a time when the literacy demands of work and life are increasing. There are many perspectives on what are the literacy needs of Indigenous adults,from the perspectives of community members themselves to the relatively under-researched perspective of literacy practitioners. This paper provides the insights, experiences and recommendations from adult literacy practitioners who work with adult Indigenous learners in communities across Australia. Focus group interviews, using an online synchronous platform, were used to elicit views about the literacy needs of …


Collaborative Learning In An Online Course: A Comparison Of Communication Patterns In Small And Whole Group Activities, Wendy Nielsen, Eric Kh Chan, Namsook Jahng Jan 2010

Collaborative Learning In An Online Course: A Comparison Of Communication Patterns In Small And Whole Group Activities, Wendy Nielsen, Eric Kh Chan, Namsook Jahng

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This article reports on the investigation of collaborative learning processes in an online course that examined students' communication during whole-group discussions and small-group activities. Content analysis and social network analysis methods were employed to code and categorize text messages to uncover students' communication behaviour. The results show that individuals' participation patterns were similar during the two different settings, but some inactive students during whole-group discussions were more active in small-groups. The social-out (sent-out messages) during whole-group discussions was a significant variable associated with cognitive contributions in whole-group as well as social and managerial contributions in small-group activities. It also identified …


Learning With The Arts: What Opportunities Are There For Work Related Adult Learning?, Claire Manning, Irina M. Verenikina, Ian M. Brown Jan 2010

Learning With The Arts: What Opportunities Are There For Work Related Adult Learning?, Claire Manning, Irina M. Verenikina, Ian M. Brown

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

What can arts‐based learning offer to adult, work‐related education? A study was undertaken that explored the benefits of learning with the arts for professional development of an adult learner in Australia. The individual experiences of nine adults who participated in arts‐based workshops to build work‐related skills were examined using the contextual model of learning where the personal, socio‐cultural and physical contexts were considered. To determine the potential for professional development, the participants' perceived learning outcomes were examined against the list of the skills valued in the modern workplace. The adult learners who participated in this research found learning with the …


Crocodiles And Polar Bears: A Cross Cultural Comparison Of Adult Learning In Remote Indigenous Communities, Michelle J. Eady, Alison Reedy Jan 2010

Crocodiles And Polar Bears: A Cross Cultural Comparison Of Adult Learning In Remote Indigenous Communities, Michelle J. Eady, Alison Reedy

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This presentation compares and contrasts the context of adult learning for two groups of adult Indigenous students, one from the northern Australian tropics and one from far Northwestern Ontario. It also examines the ways that technology is used to try and bridge the distance between Indigenous adult learners' goals and educational opportunities. From this comparison we conclude that the educational gap between Indigenous and non Indigenous learners in Canada is closing, while the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians is widening. We reflect on the reasons why Indigenous adult learners in Northwestern Ontario are being better served in comparison to …


A Tool For Online Mechanics Learning Resource Sharing, Thomas Goldfinch, Anne Gardner, Timothy Mccarthy, Alan Henderson, Giles Thomas, Anna L. Carew Jan 2010

A Tool For Online Mechanics Learning Resource Sharing, Thomas Goldfinch, Anne Gardner, Timothy Mccarthy, Alan Henderson, Giles Thomas, Anna L. Carew

Faculty of Engineering - Papers (Archive)

Many hours and dollars have been spent developing new resources to improve learning outcomes in engineering mechanics courses. While many of these have been developed into packaged learning systems, available for purchase by other universities, a large proportion are available free of charge for students looking to expand their study options. Over the past eighteen months, a group of engineering academics, through Australian Learning and Teaching Council funding, has been working to develop a way of guiding students towards these online engineering mechanics learning resources. One of the outcomes of this work is an online, database-driven directory of existing online …


The Case For Ict Work-Integrated Learning From Graduates In The Workplace, Anthony J. Koppi, Sylvia L. Edwards, Judy Sheard, Fazel Naghdy, Wayne Brookes Jan 2010

The Case For Ict Work-Integrated Learning From Graduates In The Workplace, Anthony J. Koppi, Sylvia L. Edwards, Judy Sheard, Fazel Naghdy, Wayne Brookes

Faculty of Informatics - Papers (Archive)

An online survey of recent ICT graduates in the workplace was carried out as part of a recent project funded by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council. The survey was concerned with the ICT curriculum in relation to workplace job requirements and university preparation for these requirements. The survey contained quantitative and qualitative components and findings from the former have been published (Koppi et al., 2009). This paper reports on a quantitative comparison of responses from graduates who had workplace experience and those who did not, and a qualitative analysis of text responses from all ICT graduates to open-ended questions …


Data Security And Information Privacy For Pda Accessible Clinical-Log For Medical Education In Problem-Based Learning (Pbl) Approach, Rattiporn Luanrattana, Khin Than Win, John A. Fulcher Jan 2010

Data Security And Information Privacy For Pda Accessible Clinical-Log For Medical Education In Problem-Based Learning (Pbl) Approach, Rattiporn Luanrattana, Khin Than Win, John A. Fulcher

Faculty of Informatics - Papers (Archive)

Data security and information privacy are the important aspects to consider for the use of mobile technology for recording clinical experience and encounter in medical education. Objective: This study aims to address the qualitative findings of the appropriate data security and information privacy for PDA accessible clinical-log in problem-based learning (PBL) approach in medical education. Method: The semi-structured interviews were conducted with the medical faculty members, honorary clinical academics and medical education technology specialists. Results: Data security and information access plan were determined for managing clinical-log data. The results directed the guideline for the future development and implementation of clinical-log …


From Neural To Social: Medical Student Admissions Criteria And Engagement In A Social Learning Environment, Shane P. Dawson, Leah Macfadyen, Lori Lockyer, David M. Mazzocchi-Jones Jan 2010

From Neural To Social: Medical Student Admissions Criteria And Engagement In A Social Learning Environment, Shane P. Dawson, Leah Macfadyen, Lori Lockyer, David M. Mazzocchi-Jones

Graduate School of Medicine - Papers (Archive)

Notions of what it is to be knowledgeable and skilled in one`s profession have evolved in recent decades. For instance, medical practitioners are expected to think critically and creatively, communicate effectively, and to be a professional and community leader. While these attributes have always been well regarded, it is only relatively recently that higher education institutions are actively incorporating these skills and attributes into student admissions criteria. In parallel, methods of instruction and course delivery have also changed over time with respect to these driving social paradigms. Today`s medical schools are expected to both select and develop students in terms …


Impact Of The Home Learning Environment On Child Cognitive Development: Secondary Analysis Of Data From 'Growing Up In Scotland', Edward Melhuish Jan 2010

Impact Of The Home Learning Environment On Child Cognitive Development: Secondary Analysis Of Data From 'Growing Up In Scotland', Edward Melhuish

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This study aims to investigate whether interview-based measures of children’s activities are associated with cognitive ability at age 34 months, and whether they have independent effects once socio-demographic factors have been taken into account.


Improved Learning In Grid-To-Grid Neural Network Via Clustering, William E. White, Khan M. Iftekharuddin, Abdesselam Bouzerdoum Jan 2010

Improved Learning In Grid-To-Grid Neural Network Via Clustering, William E. White, Khan M. Iftekharuddin, Abdesselam Bouzerdoum

Faculty of Informatics - Papers (Archive)

The maze traversal problem involves finding the shortest distance to the goal from any position in a maze. Such maze solving problems have been an interesting challenge in computational intelligence. Previous work has shown that grid-to-grid neural networks such as the cellular simultaneous recurrent neural network (CSRN) can effectively solve simple maze traversing problems better than other iterative algorithms such as the feedforward multi layer perceptron (MLP). In this work, we investigate improved learning for the CSRN maze solving problem by exploiting relevant information about the maze. We cluster parts of the maze using relevant state information and show an …


Technological Innovation In Action: Transforming The Learning Landscape For Multi-Locations Through Networked Interactive Whiteboards, Maria T. Bavaro Jan 2010

Technological Innovation In Action: Transforming The Learning Landscape For Multi-Locations Through Networked Interactive Whiteboards, Maria T. Bavaro

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This paper commences to unpack the possibilities for the question: how can technologies transform the learning for our future regional teachers? Videoconference and interactive whiteboards are not new. Yet, the innovation of these technologies has resulted in a new way of thinking to enhance the learning experiences for regional students who often feel disconnected when studying from a distance (Moore, 1997; Knipe &Lee, 2002; Saw et al., 2008; Worthy, Arul & Brickell, 2008). The advancement arises when a shared digital canvas is created using networked interactive whiteboards in conjunction with the videoconference for video and audio communication to provide two-way …


A Scalable Algorithm For Learning A Mahalanobis Distance Metric, Junae Kim, Chunhua Shen, Lei Wang Jan 2010

A Scalable Algorithm For Learning A Mahalanobis Distance Metric, Junae Kim, Chunhua Shen, Lei Wang

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

A distance metric that can accurately re°ect the intrinsic characteristics of data is critical for visual recognition tasks. An e®ective solution to de¯ning such a metric is to learn it from a set of training sam- ples. In this work, we propose a fast and scalable algorithm to learn a Ma- halanobis distance. By employing the principle of margin maximization to secure better generalization performances, this algorithm formulates the metric learning as a convex optimization problem with a positive semide¯nite (psd) matrix variable. Based on an important theorem that a psd matrix with trace of one can always be represented …


A Multi-Resolution Approach To Learning With Overlapping Communities, Lei Tang, Xufei Wang, Huan Liu, Lei Wang Jan 2010

A Multi-Resolution Approach To Learning With Overlapping Communities, Lei Tang, Xufei Wang, Huan Liu, Lei Wang

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

The recent few years have witnessed a rapid surge of par- ticipatory web and social media, enabling a new laboratory for studying human relations and collective behavior on an unprecedented scale. In this work, we attempt to harness the predictive power of social connections to determine the preferences or behaviors of individuals such as whether a user supports a certain political view, whether one likes one product, whether he/she would like to vote for a presidential candidate, etc. Since an actor is likely to participate in mul- tiple dierent communities with each regulating the actor's behavior in varying degrees, and …


E-Mail And Portfolio Assessment As Ways For Language And Culture Learning - Exchange Between Australia And Taiwan, Yu-Ju Chang, Su-Lien Chen Jan 2010

E-Mail And Portfolio Assessment As Ways For Language And Culture Learning - Exchange Between Australia And Taiwan, Yu-Ju Chang, Su-Lien Chen

Faculty of Arts - Papers (Archive)

In Taiwan, elementary school students have started taking their formal English classes in the third grade. Besides, many students in large cities like Taipei start their formal or informal English classes at an even younger age. English learning has become a popular movement in Taiwan.


The Potential To Learn: Pre-Service Teachers' Proposed Use Of Instructional Strategies For Students With A Learning Disability, Stuart Woodcock, Wilma Vialle Jan 2010

The Potential To Learn: Pre-Service Teachers' Proposed Use Of Instructional Strategies For Students With A Learning Disability, Stuart Woodcock, Wilma Vialle

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Over recent years, moves toward the inclusion of students with special needs in mainstream classrooms has brought about increasing attention to the way general education teachers perceive these students. Commensurate with this has been a growing interest in what may constitute educational success for children with special needs in mainstream classrooms, plus the ability of general education teachers to provide effective and appropriate instruction for them. It is known that teachers form beliefs about the process of teaching during their pre-service training and also that once a belief has been held for a long time, it becomes extremely difficult to …


Indigenous Sharing, Collaboration And Synchronous Learning, Michelle J. Eady, Irina Verenikina, Sarah Jones Jan 2010

Indigenous Sharing, Collaboration And Synchronous Learning, Michelle J. Eady, Irina Verenikina, Sarah Jones

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Online learning is progressively accepted in Indigenous communities with the realized potential for sharing, collaboration and learning for adults living in remote and isolated communities. This study used a design-based research approach that provided opportunity to integrate the current literature, literacy practitioners' views and community members' self identified literacy needs to generate ten draft guiding principles which guided this study. A collaborative community engagement project was created by the community members in consideration of these principles and presented in three iterations in a synchronous environment which will lead to design-based principles for working with technology and Indigenous communities. This paper …


Reframing Dyslexia As A Result Of Customised Educational Provision In An Adult Learning Environment, Kathleen Tanner Jan 2010

Reframing Dyslexia As A Result Of Customised Educational Provision In An Adult Learning Environment, Kathleen Tanner

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Reframing has been identified as a process used by people with learning disabilities to change their beliefs and understanding about themselves and their learning disabilities (Gerber, Reiff and Ginsberg, 1996). This paper will discuss the influence of a specially designed course for people with dyslexia conducted through the tertiary TAFE (Technical and Further Education) system in Western Australia and how it provided the catalyst for participants to reframe their perceptions of their dyslexia through empowering them with knowledge and understanding of dyslexia alongside current societal perceptions toward people with literacy difficulties. Findings revealed that all 10 participants reframed their perceptions …


Enhancing Learning Through Strategies Lecturers Use: A Snapshot Of Students' Learning At A Satellite Campus, Joanne Dearlove, Jennifer Rowley Jan 2010

Enhancing Learning Through Strategies Lecturers Use: A Snapshot Of Students' Learning At A Satellite Campus, Joanne Dearlove, Jennifer Rowley

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

This study sought to investigate undergraduate Education and Commerce students’ perceptions of learning within a distributed learning environment at the Loftus Education Centre (LEC), University of Wollongong (UOW). The LEC was established in 2003 as part of a distributed learning environment comprising regional campuses and centres to enable UOW to deliver tertiary education opportunities to regional students. It offers both undergraduate and post-graduate degrees. The distance of Loftus from the hub campus requires that, for reasons of economy and efficiency, studies often involve a blended learning approach. Also, the campus is small in size (an enrolment of 286 in 2009), …


Learning Outside The Textbook: Accounting Students' Reflections In An Internship Programme, Bonnie Amelia Dean, Graham D. Bowrey, Michael D. Clements Jan 2010

Learning Outside The Textbook: Accounting Students' Reflections In An Internship Programme, Bonnie Amelia Dean, Graham D. Bowrey, Michael D. Clements

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

The opportunity to gain professional industry experience for accounting students whilst undertaking their undergraduate degree provides them with both a competitive edge in the marketplace and an opportunity to experience the activities undertaken in their chosen profession. Structured experiential learning programmes enables students the practical opportunity to apply their knowledge in an industry context and to reflect on their personal learning journey. This paper presents an innovative and flexible internship programme which based upon an e-learning framework fosters learning through reflection based assessments. Through a preliminary investigation, it is revealed that accounting students after undertaking this programme, reveal learning pertaining …


Strategic Leadership Capacity Development For Ict: Moving Beyond Learning On The Job, Geraldine Lefoe, Dominique Parrish Jan 2010

Strategic Leadership Capacity Development For Ict: Moving Beyond Learning On The Job, Geraldine Lefoe, Dominique Parrish

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

Leadership for change is a key component for universities striving to find new ways to meet the needs of their future students. This paper discusses an innovative framework for leadership capacity development which has been implemented in a number of Australian universities. The framework, underpinned by a distributive approach to leadership, prepares a new generation of leaders for formal positions of leadership in all aspects of teaching and learning. Through the Faculty Scholars Program a number of teaching and learning innovations were implemented, including a number using innovative technologies, to establish strategic change within their faculties. The Scholars shared their …


Learning The Ways Of Teaching: Medical Students As Co-Assessors And Peer Teachers, Susan Vella, Lisa Brown Jan 2010

Learning The Ways Of Teaching: Medical Students As Co-Assessors And Peer Teachers, Susan Vella, Lisa Brown

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

No abstract provided.


Learning How To Be An Academic - The Story Of A New Academic In The Sciences, Danielle Skropeta Jan 2010

Learning How To Be An Academic - The Story Of A New Academic In The Sciences, Danielle Skropeta

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.


The Influence Of Action Learning On Student Perception And Performance, Brad Stappenbelt Jan 2010

The Influence Of Action Learning On Student Perception And Performance, Brad Stappenbelt

Faculty of Engineering - Papers (Archive)

The study of floating oscillating water column (OWC) wave energy conversion (WEC) device performance includes analysis of the dynamic coupling of the water column and the floating structure. In the present investigation, a mechanical oscillator model was proposed in order to examine this relationship for the heave motion of a floating wave energy conversion device. Characterisation of the dynamic system optimal behaviour was performed by examining the effect of relative OWC and floating structure natural frequencies, the phase relationships of the various system components and the optimal power take-off damping of the system. It was determined that separation of the …


This Is Me! Empowering Children To Talk About Their Learning Through Digital Story, Jessica Mantei, Lisa K. Kervin Jan 2010

This Is Me! Empowering Children To Talk About Their Learning Through Digital Story, Jessica Mantei, Lisa K. Kervin

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

The transition from pre-school to Kindergarten is an important part of a child’s learning journey. In the early childhood setting children develop interests, knowledge and learning preferences that often remain unknown in the early days of Kindergarten. We argue that from this young age children can identify and articulate learning preferences as they use their literate practices to communicate their preferences, aspirations and reflections. Digital Stories are short, personal, multimedia presentations created through image (from still and/or video cameras), which are then edited on a computer with video editing software to include a spoken narrative. In this paper we share …


Teaching, Learning And Talking: Mapping "The Trail Of Fire", Pauline T. Jones Jan 2010

Teaching, Learning And Talking: Mapping "The Trail Of Fire", Pauline T. Jones

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper addresses the current resurgence of interest in classroom talk and its place in pedagogy; in particular the role of teachers in shaping students’ learning through the design of classroom interactivity. The importance of teacher agency with respect to pedagogic design is highlighted in recent studies of pedagogy in the UK (Alexander, 2008; Mercer, 2008) and in linguistically oriented studies of pedagogic discourse undertaken in the Australian context (Christie, 2002; Jones, 2005). The paper presents a case study of classroom talk to explore how such work might be brought into alignment in order to shed further light on the …


Articulating Constructionism: Learning Science Through Designing And Making "Slowmations" (Student-Generated Animations), Garry Hoban, Wendy Nielsen, Charles Carceller Jan 2010

Articulating Constructionism: Learning Science Through Designing And Making "Slowmations" (Student-Generated Animations), Garry Hoban, Wendy Nielsen, Charles Carceller

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This conceptual paper analyses several theoretical frameworks for “learning through making” using technology. First, the theoretical framework of Constructionism, which was proposed by Seymour Papert (1987), is discussed which is based on an integration of constructivist views of learning and social views of learning. Second, several instructional design frameworks are analysed and finally a theoretical framework based on Peirce‟s (1931) Semiotic Triad is explained. An example of learning through making is provided in the form of a “Slowmation” (abbreviated from “Slow Animation”), which is a new way for preservice teachers to learn science by making a narrated animation. It is …


Slowmation As A Pedagogical Scaffold For Improving Science Teaching And Learning, Stephen Keast, Rebecca Cooper, Amanda Berry, John Loughran, Garry Hoban Jan 2010

Slowmation As A Pedagogical Scaffold For Improving Science Teaching And Learning, Stephen Keast, Rebecca Cooper, Amanda Berry, John Loughran, Garry Hoban

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

In this study, two classes of General Science Teaching Method preservice secondary teachers at Monash University (n = 38 in 2007 and n = 34 in 2008) developed Slowmation movies as part of their course work, then introduced Slowmation into the their science classrooms during their school practicum. On returning to university following their practicum these preservice teachers shared the Slowmations created by their students during the practicum, and discussed the impact of introducing this procedure on their students’ learning about science concepts. The classroom presentations and discussions of school students’ Slowmation movies post practicum provided valuable feedback to the …


Web 2.0 In Higher Education: Blurring Social Networks And Learning Networks, Lori Lockyer, Shane P. Dawson, Elizabeth Heathcote Jan 2010

Web 2.0 In Higher Education: Blurring Social Networks And Learning Networks, Lori Lockyer, Shane P. Dawson, Elizabeth Heathcote

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper reports on a study that investigated how two cohorts of students (in medicine and education) adopted a social networking platform to assist their university studies. The study examines the sites of dissonance between predicted and actual usage of the tool. Although the integration of social technologies into higher education is not new, there is mounting imperatives for developing creative, flexible, technologically literate graduates. Yet, to date, limited research has focused on how contemporary learners expect to and in actual fact, utilise these tools to support their study. This study observed that students’ perceptions of how technologies should support …


Data Dumping, After The Test You Forget It All: Seeking Deep Approaches To Science Learning With Slowmation (Student-Generated Animations), Garry Hoban Jan 2010

Data Dumping, After The Test You Forget It All: Seeking Deep Approaches To Science Learning With Slowmation (Student-Generated Animations), Garry Hoban

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

It Is not uncommon for university students to role learn facts and formulae to memorise information for a test. Unfortunately, these surface approaches to learning are encouraged by the complex teaching and learning system embedded in the context of university courses. Where possible, academics should encourage students to develop a deep approach to learning in their subJects. ' Slowmation" (abbreviated from Slow Animation) is an innovative teaching strategy that encourages students to design and make their own narrated digital animation that is played slowly at 2 frames/second to explain a concept. It is a simplified way of making animations that …


Digital Integrity And The Teaching/Learning Nexus: Taking The Pedagogical Pulse Of The Multi-Location University., Jeannette Stirling, Kerryn Hopkins, Brendan Riddick Jan 2010

Digital Integrity And The Teaching/Learning Nexus: Taking The Pedagogical Pulse Of The Multi-Location University., Jeannette Stirling, Kerryn Hopkins, Brendan Riddick

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

This case study considers questions of pedagogical and educational integrity in relation to multi-location or distributed learning environments that deploy blended learning models. Specifically, we engage with the implications of these models in light of recommendations that Australian universities continue to improve access for students from low socio-economic backgrounds and other identified equity groups. We provide an overview of the critical success factors germane to the implementation of these models at the University of Wollongong in 2000 and examine some of the pressure points that have emerged as the project expands into 2010.