Digital Commons Network^™

An Evidence-Based Approach To Developing Faculty-Wide Training For Graduate Teaching Assistants, Jenny Slaughter, Thomas Rodgers, Claudia Henninger

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

In 2000, Sharpe proposed a framework for graduate teaching assistant (GTA) training based on three key principles: departmental training, faculty training, and accreditation. Sharpe’s paper culminated in a call for Higher Education (HE) institutes to adopt this framework. Whilst the principles of Sharpe’s work remain relevant, the shape and structure of HE and accrediting bodies has changed due to the increasingly competitive market environment. Herein we provide an updated framework for GTA training based around implementation at a large English Russell Group University. We identify seven key elements for effective GTA training based on literature. We then demonstrate how this …

Attempts To Replicate The Skills, Attributes And Capabilities Associated With International Mobility In An Online World: A Case Study, Nayiri Keshishi, Alexander Seal, Karl Jicha, Brittany Gaustad Shantz, Anne Dorothée Slovic

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

In recent years, obstacles to physical mobility, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, have hastened the turn towards online platforms for educational and social activities. Many study abroad programs have had to adapt to such circumstances and embrace virtual environments in the face of limited physical mobility. In this case study, we look at how one multi-university program, the UGPN Academy, was able to expand international student learning efforts despite travel limitations due, in part, to adapting to online communication technologies and environments. Through comparison of surveys administered to participants pre- and post-participation, students reported that having an online community as …

Rhetorics Of Species Revivalism And Biotechnology – A Roundtable Dialogue, Eva Kasprzycka, Charlotte Wrigley, Adam Searle, Richard Twine

Animal Studies Journal

This informal dialogue contextualises and explores contemporary practices of nonhuman animal gene-modification in de-extinction projects. Looking at recent developments in biotechnology’s role in de-extinction sciences and industries, these interdisciplinary scholars scrutinise the neoliberal impetus driving ‘species revivalism’ in the wake of the Capitalocene. Critical examinations of species integrity, cryo-preservation, techno-optimism, rewilding initiatives and projects aimed at restoring extinct animals such as the woolly mammoth and bucardo are used to map some of the necessary restructuring of conservation policies and enterprises that could secure viably sustainable – and just – futures for nonhuman animals at risk of extinction. The authors question …

Marx, Spinoza And The New Technologies, Roberto Finelli

International Gramsci Journal

The purpose of this essay is to investigate the nature of the ideology that is developing from new information technologies. The basic thesis is that there is a confusion between the accumulation and mathematical processing of “information” on the one hand and “knowledge” on the other. While knowledge, it is argued, is always based on the world of life, as a set of problems that arise from the materialistic, biological, emotional reproduction of a living human body, information represents the most abstract and formal version of it, which can be accumulated and calculated, but whose true meaning always depends on …

Tools Of Rescue: A Review Of Silencio Para Rescatar: Documental Sonoro, Sonia Robles

RadioDoc Review

In this audio documentary, Mexican cultural promoter and sound artist Abraham Chavelas recounts rescue activities in which he took part after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake rattled Mexico on 19 September 2017. Answering a call for help, Chavelas was assigned to a collapsed factory where an unknown number of undocumented Asian and Central American women working as seamstresses were trapped under the rubble. For two days, he aided rescue efforts by using a high-tech microphone to help determine whether or not there was life under piles of concrete, glass and debris. Chavelas used the audio he gathered before the Mexican Marines …

Shared Learning Objectives In Interdisciplinary Projects: Game Design In A Sino-Scandinavian Context, Henrik Engström, Ruimin Lyu, Per Backlund, Marcus Toftedahl, Palle Rosendahl Ehmsen

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

The learning goals of project-based courses are typically specific for each involved discipline. Game development is deeply interdisciplinary and some of its core principles are shared across disciplines, from art to programming. This article presents a project-based approach where students majoring in arts and students majoring in technology share learning objectives. The course has been developed in a Sino-Scandinavian collaboration. Experiences from well-established Scandinavian game development programmes have been transferred to a Chinese university context.

This article presents an explorative mixed method evaluation of this course. The research design had two phases with an initial qualitative analysis resulting in a …

Progress In Piezoelectric Material Based Oceanic Wave Energy Conversion Technology, Mahbubur Kiran, Omar Farrok, Md Abdullah-Al-Mamun, Md Rabiul Islam, Wei Xu

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Recently, electrical engineers are paying great attention to develop oceanic wave energy conversion technologies based on the piezoelectric materials because of their excellent conveniences. Piezoelectric oceanic wave energy converters (OWECs) have several benefits over the others such as its small size, lightweight, no requirement of using intermediate device as well as having less negative impacts on the oceanic environment. Various review and research papers focus on the piezoelectric devices, their operation and application for oceanic energy conversion. But, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, none of the existing research or review papers present detailed scheme of piezoelectric device based …

Bridging Distances: Professional Development For Higher Education Faculty Through Technology-Facilitated Lesson Study, Melissa Soto, Dittika Gupta, Lara Dick, Mollie Appelgate

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

Higher education faculty benefit from participating in communities of practice focused on developing and improving their own instruction. However, collaborators with common interests are not always located at the same physical location. In this article, we share how participation in a technology-facilitated lesson study provided the means for five higher education faculty across the U.S. to engage in professional development and evolve into a virtual community of practice. Through the use of synchronous and asynchronous communication technology, we formulated goals, planned a common lesson, conducted research on our students’ learning, and reflected on our own teaching practice. For this paper, …

Reproduction And Transformation Of Students' Technology Practice: The Tale Of Two Distinctive Secondary Student Cases, Karley A. Beckman, Sue Bennett, Lori Lockyer

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Disparities in the technology practices, skills and knowledge of school students still exist, despite widespread investment, and use in schools. In order to understand why inequalities remain, we first need a more nuanced understanding of students' technology practice, including understanding how their backgrounds, circumstances and experiences shape their perceptions of and engagement with technology. This paper proposes that research in the field of educational technology would benefit from a sociological framing in order to highlight how and why students use technology at school and in their everyday lives. The paper reports on a qualitative embedded case study of 13-16‐year‐old students …

The Role Of Technology And Regulations In Capital Flow To India, Nisha Goel, Gurinder Singh

Australasian Accounting, Business and Finance Journal

The economic reforms initiated in India in 1990, have opened greater avenues to attract foreign funds into the Indian stock market. The Indian Economy shows more potential for development as compared to other developing economies which is the reason that India is mostly picked up by foreign investors for capital investments. An attempt is being made in this paper to analyse the role of technology in capital flow and also to examine the relationship between regulation and capital flows to India. The monthly data of the variables have been taken for the study and the reference period used in the …

Editorial: The Impact Of Regulations And Technology On The Business Environment In India, Hima Bindu Kota

Australasian Accounting, Business and Finance Journal

A hearty welcome to the Special Issue of INBUSH 2018 (International Business Summit & Research Conference) organised by Amity International Business School, Amity University, India, which is an excellent & magnanimous platform that witnesses the participation of over 500 Thought Leaders, Management Gurus, Cabinet Ministers, Ambassadors & High Commissioners, Members of Parliament, Vice Chancellors, Deans and Directors from reputed National & International Universities, Noted Academicians, High profile media personalities, Corporate leaders and students from almost 115 countries who share ideas, exchange thoughts, deliberate on various research insights and brainstorm to provide conclusive, logical and relevant world-class best practices.

Advancement In Track Technology - Composite Foundations For Increased Speed And Axle Loads, Buddhima Indraratna, Ngoc Trung Ngo, Cholachat Rujikiatkamjorn

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

The increasing demand for fast heavy haul services with greater axle loads, as well as high speed commuter trains, poses a serious challenge for the stability of tracks on the problematic ground. The use of artificial inclusions such as polymeric geosynthetics for enhanced soil-structure interaction and rubber mats made from recycled rubber tyres to absorb the strain energy and reduce ballast breakage and track damage is described in this paper as a cost-effective option. In this study, a series of large-scale laboratory tests took place to determine how well these geogrids could attenuate the impact, cyclic stress, and corresponding mitigation …

Conceptualising Technology Practice In Education Using Bourdieu's Sociology, Karley A. Beckman, Tiffani L. Apps, Sue Bennett, Lori Lockyer

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Evidence from large-scale studies of primary and secondary students' technology practices at school over the last decade show disparities in student practices and suggest that schools need to do more to cater for all students. Research that explores the influence of social and cultural factors may be useful for understanding such inequality in student practice. Bourdieu's theory of practice [(1977). Outline of a Theory of Practice. London: Cambridge University Press] is proposed as an example of a sociological theory that can be adopted in educational technology research to move towards understanding the wider complexities of technology practice. To encourage discourse …

‘Machine Milking Is More Manly Than Hand Milking’: Multispecies Agencies And Gendered Practices In Finnish Cattle Tending From The 1950s To The 1970s, Taija Kaarlenkaski

Animal Studies Journal

During the last hundred years, mechanization has significantly changed the working circumstances of both humans and animals in cattle husbandry. In Finland, cattle tending was regarded as women’s work up until the mid-20th century. According to a common view, the proliferation of milking machines, starting from the 1950s, caused men to start working in the cowsheds. In this paper, I will examine how the agencies of cattle tenders, cows, and milking machines were constructed during the mechanization process from the 1950s to the 1970s. Special attention will be paid to gendered representations, and changes in the gendered division of work. …

How Technology Shapes Assessment Design: Findings From A Study Of University Teachers, Sue Bennett, Phillip Dawson, Margaret Bearman, Elizabeth K. Molloy, David J. Boud

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A wide range of technologies has been developed to enhance assessment, but adoption has been inconsistent. This is despite assessment being critical to student learning and certification. To understand why this is the case and how it can be addressed, we need to explore the perspectives of academics responsible for designing and implementing technology-supported assessment strategies. This paper reports on the experience of designing technology-supported assessment based on interviews with 33 Australian university teachers. The findings reveal the desire to achieve greater efficiencies and to be contemporary and innovative as key drivers of technology adoption for assessment. Participants sought to …

Patients' Acceptance Of Smartphone Health Technology For Chronic Disease Management: A Theoretical Model And Empirical Test, Kaili Dou, Ping Yu, Ning Deng, Fang Liu, Yingping Guan, Zhenye Li, Yumeng Ji, Ningkai Du, Xudong Lu, Huilong Duan

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

No abstract provided.

Innovation From A Distance: A Study Of Diffusion In A Regional University, Valentine Albert Robert Hazelman

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 2017+

This study examined the diffusion of an innovation, a learning management system for distance and flexible learning (DFL) in a regional university – the University of the South Pacific (USP). It set out to address the following questions:

1. How does diffusion of an innovation occur in a regional university?

2. What elements of diffusion have significant influence? What are the key processes in the diffusion of a learning management system? What key stakeholders are involved in the diffusion of a learning management system?

3. What aspects of the regional setting impact diffusion?

Grounded in the work of Rogers (2003), …

Data Mining In Educational Technology Classroom Research: Can It Make A Contribution?, Charoula Angeli, Sarah Katherine Howard, Jun Ma, Jie Yang, Paul A. Kirschner

SMART Infrastructure Facility - Papers

The paper addresses and explains some of the key questions about the use of data mining in educational technology classroom research. Two examples of use of data mining techniques, namely, association rules mining and fuzzy representations are presented, from a study conducted in Europe and another in Australia. Both of these studies examine student learning, behaviors, and experiences within computer-supported classroom activities. In the first study, the technique of association rules mining was used to understand better how learners with different cognitive types interacted with a simulation to solve a problem. Association rules mining was found to be a useful …

Toward A Sociomaterial Understanding Of Writing Experiences Incorporating Digital Technology In An Early Childhood Classroom, Lisa K. Kervin, Barbara Comber, Annette Woods

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This article examines the resources, tools, and opportunities children enact as they engage with teacher-devised writing experiences within their classroom space. We begin with discussion about classroom writing time from the perspective of both the teacher and children of one Grade 1/2 composite class. We also reveal resources within the classroom space to consider the expertise available during writing times. We then examine a 5-week unit that focused on multimodal text construction. Using optical flow computer vision analysis to examine the movement of children during four video-recorded independent writing instances, we provide commentary about how the classroom writing experiences have …

The Analysis Of Technology Self-Efficacy In Pre-Service And Practising Early Childhood Educators As A Lens For Understanding Preparation For Technology Integration, Michelle Gregory

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 2017+

As the availability of digital technology for young children increases, it is important to understand potential challenges educators face with its use in early childhood education. Educators play an important role in shaping children’s learning and development, but concerns have been raised that early childhood professionals feel ill-equipped to effectively integrate technology into their teaching practices. The current lack of a framework or policy for high quality technology use in the early years in Australia presents a further challenge. This situation makes it critical to learn more about early childhood educators’ attitudes and perceptions of technology as they are key …

Cultural Relativism, Emergent Technology And Aboriginal Health Discourse, Kishan A. Kariippanon

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The incorporation of mobile phones and social media by Indigenous youth (Senior and Chenhall, 2016; Carlson, Farelli, Frazer & Brothwick, 2015; Kral, 2014) has prompted a migration of online engagement and social marketing interventions in health promotion programs according to Brusse, Gardner, MacAulley & Dowden (2014). According to Kral (2014 p. 4) “the rapid development of new information and communication technologies, an increase in affordable, small mobile technologies” including research by Taylor (2012) on the increase in Telstra’s Internet enabled ‘Next G’ connections over the vast remote regions in the Northern Territory of Australia, has created “an explosion of new …

An Integrated Model Of Staff Education And Service Support To Strengthen The Efficacy Of Technology-Based Crisis Services, Taneile Kitchingman, Peter Caputi, Ian G. Wilson, Alan Woodward

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Paper presented at the National Suicide Prevention Conference, 24-27 July 2016, Canberra, Australia.

Within Australia, non-clinical telephone and online crisis support services provide readily accessible support without the requirement of referral. Research shows that up to one third of callers to crisis lines and half of all visitors to crisis chat services may be suicidal at the time of contact. Research also shows that contact with these services reduces caller suicidality and facilitates engagement with necessary intervention. The number of contacts to crisis support services in Australia is increasing. An increase in contacts to technology-based crisis services highlights the need …

A School-Based Intervention Incorporating Smartphone Technology To Improve Health-Related Fitness Among Adolescents: Rationale And Study Protocol For The Neat And Atlas 2.0 Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial And Dissemination Study, David R. Lubans, Jordan J. Smith, Louisa Peralta, Ronald Plotnikoff, Anthony D. Okely, Jo Salmon, Narelle Eather, Deborah Dewar, Sarah G. Kennedy, Chris Lonsdale, Toni A. Hilland, Paul Estabrooks, Tara Finn, Emma Pollock, Philip J. Morgan

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Introduction Physical inactivity has been described as a global pandemic. Interventions aimed at developing skills in lifelong physical activities may provide the foundation for an active lifestyle into adulthood. In general, school-based physical activity interventions targeting adolescents have produced modest results and few have been designed to be 'scaled-up' and disseminated. This study aims to: (1) assess the effectiveness of two physical activity promotion programmes (ie, NEAT and ATLAS) that have been modified for scalability; and (2) evaluate the dissemination of these programmes throughout government funded secondary schools. Methods and analysis The study will be conducted in two phases. In …

Implementation Of Health Technology Assessment Work In A Hospital In Kazakhstan, Lyazzat Kosherbayeva, David M. Hailey, Kural Kurakbaev, Aleksey Tsoy, Ormanbek Zhuzzhanov, Abilay Donbay, Ainur Kumar, Kamalzhan Nadyrov

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Objectives: The aim of this study was to implement health technology assessment (HA) in the First General City Hospital in Astana, Kazakhstan. Methods: We organized trainings to familiarize hospital staff with the purpose and details of HTA. An HTA committee was established, with representation from hospital physicians and managers, and criteria for prioritization of health technologies determined. Clinical departments of the hospital were asked to prepare applications for new technologies for their services. Results: The HTA committee reviewed five applications and selected a technology from one of these, on single incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS), for assessment. A short HTA report …

A Process Of Prioritizing Topics For Health Technology Assessment In Kazakhstan, Lyazzat Kosherbayeva, David M. Hailey, Kural Kurakbaev, Adlet Tabarov, Ainur Kumar, Gulnara Gutzskaya, Elena Stepkina

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Objectives: The aim of this study was to develop criteria for the prioritization of topics for health technology assessment (HTA) in the healthcare system of Kazakhstan. Methods: Initial proposals for criteria were suggested through consultation with Ministry of Health (MoH) policy areas. These were refined through a workshop attended by HTA department staff, persons from medical universities and research institutes, and MoH policy makers. The workshop included discussion on methods used in international HTA practice. Opinions of participants on selection of criteria from those specified in a review of prioritization processes were used to define a list for inclusion in …

Commentary On "The Influence Of Hospital-Based Hta On Technology Acquisition Decision", David M. Hailey

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

The article by Dupouy and Gagnon presents a case study on the structure and operation of an HB-HTA unit with reference to an assessment of a diagnostic technology. It gives interesting details on the organization of an HB-HTA program, and of the approaches that were taken in the assessment. It also notes the demands on a small unit and some limits to its activities. Semi-structured interviews were held with informants from three groups in the hospital. Excerpts from the interviews provide further insight. Projects of the HTA Unit are assisted by a stakeholders working group; information is included on its …

Persuasive Technology In Mobile Applications Promoting Physical Activity: A Systematic Review, John Matthews, Khin Than Win, Harri Oinas-Kukkonen, Mark Freeman

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Persuasive technology in mobile applications can be used to influence the behaviour of users. A framework known as the Persuasive Systems Design model has been developed for designing and evaluating systems that influence the attitudes or behaviours of users. This paper reviews the current state of mobile applications for health behavioural change with an emphasis on applications that promote physical activity. The inbuilt persuasive features of mobile applications were evaluated using the Persuasive Systems Design model. A database search was conducted to identify relevant articles. Articles were then reviewed using the Persuasive Systems Design model as a framework for analysis. …

Development Of Intermediate Cooling Technology And Its Control For Two-Stand Plate Rolling, Fei Zhang, Wei Yu, Tao Liu

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

In a plate rolling production line, thermomechanically controlled processing is critical for plate quality. In this paper, a set of intermediate cooling equipment of a two-stand plate mill with super density nozzles, medium pressure, and small flow is developed. Based on a simplified dynamic model, a cooling control scheme with combined feedforward, feedback, and adaptive algorithms is put forward. The new controlled rolling process and the highly efficient control system improve the controlled rolling efficiency by an average of 17.66%. The proposed intermediate cooling system can also effectively inhibit the growth of austenite grain, improve the impact toughness and yield …

Removal Of Emerging Contaminants For Water Reuse By Membrane Technology, Long D. Nghiem, Takahiro Fujioka

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Emerging trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) are broadly defined as any synthetic or naturally occurring chemicals that have not been routinely monitored but have the potential to enter the environment and cause known or suspected adverse ecological or human health effects [1]. Most of these TrOCs are from municipal, agricultural and industrial wastewater sources (see Figure 9.1). Their release to the environment had likely occurred for a long time but was only recently recognised by new and advanced analytical methods [2]. In some cases, emerging contaminants can also result from the synthesis of new chemicals either intentionally as a chemical of …

Fibre Bragg Grating Sensing Technology For The Evaluation Of Physical Properties Of Dental Resin Composites, Ginu Rajan, Paul Shouha, Ayman Ellakwa, Jiangtao Xi, Gangadhara B. Prusty

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

The characterization of the physical properties of dental resin composites is fraught with difficulties relating to significant intra and inter test parameter variabilities and is relatively time consuming and expensive. The main aim of this study was to evaluate whether optical fibre Brag grating (FBG) sensing system may become a viable tool to study dental material characteristics. Of particular focus was the potential for the system to demonstrate a multi parameter all-in-one feature. A miniature FBG was embedded in six different dental resin composites and employed as a sensor to evaluate linear polymerization shrinkage, thermal expansion and water sorption. This …