Education Commons^™

Usu School Of Graduate Studies, April M. Fawson

April Fawson

No abstract provided.

Moving Towards A University-Wide Implementation Of An Eportfolio Tool, S. R. Lambert, L. E. Corrin

Sarah Lambert

The University of Wollongong has been strategically exploring ePortfolios since 2002. Building on lessons learnt from student trials across two different disciplines in 2002/3 and 2006, the project team is on the verge of implementing a university wide ePortfolio tool customisable for all students across all faculties. This paper describes the steps taken on the road thus far, including a description and justification of a new project structure and consultative framework developed to guide the implementation.

Digital And Media Literacy: A Plan Of Action, Renee Hobbs

Renee Hobbs

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Instructional Technologies On The Finance Classroom, Steven D. Dolvin, J. Michael Morgan, Mark Pyles

Steven D. Dolvin

Using a survey technique, we evaluate the effect of PowerPoint, online lecture notes, financial calculators, and machine readable forms (MRF) on students' assessment of the quality of instruction, perceived knowledge level, satisfaction, post-course interest in the subject, and average grade in introductory finance courses. We also examine these opinions on a relative basis by comparing the responses of Finance majors versus non-Finance majors. The results suggest that certain technologies are received better than others and further, that the perceived quality of instructional techniques is largely contingent on the student's choice of major.

Reinvigorating Educational Design For An Online World, Meg O'Reilly

Dr Meg O'Reilly

With changes to higher education being significantly impacted by the rapid pace of technological evolution in the new millennium, there is a need to find greater humanity in the course development process. As traditional mediators and creative collaborators in the process of course design, educational designers are well positioned to bring spirit and soul to their work with academic staff. This paper explores the need for reinvigorating teaching and learning relationships through creative, post-egoist meaningful approaches to educational design in times of enormous technological and workplace change.

Interaction Online: Above And Beyond The Requirements Of Assessment, Meg O'Reilly, Diane Newton

Dr Meg O'Reilly

Today’s literature is filled with new paradigms for learning, specifically in relation to the increasing adoption of computer-mediated techniques for interactive learning. In many cases, learning may now be enhanced through the experience of a shared online environment for critical discussion, knowledge building and the establishment of supportive social communities. Research data obtained from social science students at Southern Cross University over two semesters reveals students’ perceptions of the importance of online discussion whether these are assessable or not. This paper presents some findings and explores the impact of the emergence of a student-centred social learning environment.

Using Cross-Disciplinary Action Learning Sets When Designing Online Assessment, Meg O'Reilly

Dr Meg O'Reilly

The drive to find appropriate ways to integrate online technologies into assessment has come about within Australian higher education as a consequence of widely held aspirations to remain competitive in the global marketplace. An action research initiative at Southern Cross University reported in this paper suggests both extrinsic and intrinsic reasons why academics considering online assessment may or may not follow through with immediate implementation. More specifically, a crossdisciplinary action learning set in the case study presented has shown benefits in approaching educational design as a cyclical, collegial, creative and reflexive process for planning, implementing and evaluating online assessment.

Educational Design As Transdisciplinary Partnership: Supporting Assessment Design For Online, Meg O'Reilly

Dr Meg O'Reilly

The design of student assessment for the online context can be a disquieting experience without the support of colleagues and a group of peers from across a range of disciplines with whom to share ideas. This paper reports on interviews conducted with academic “peak performers” as well as some educational design practitioners about the current practices of designing for online assessment. A transdisciplinary approach to educational design is proposed for further exploration.

Designing Webcds: A Low Cost Option To Enhance Learning And Interaction, Meg O'Reilly, Chris Morgan

Dr Meg O'Reilly

Candidates of Southern Cross University's Doctor of Business Administration are a unique group. Demands by these senior executives for flexibility of delivery and portability of courseware has been the recent impetus for course redesign. Informed by a student survey and expressed needs of staff, instructional designers focused on a low cost hybrid model for delivery of study resources. A collection of Web linked CDROMs have been designed to utilise advantages of online interaction while storing high resolution video materials without limitations of bandwidth and unwieldy download times. Enhancements to teaching, learning and assessment approaches are discussed.

Staff Development By Immersion In Interactive Learning Online, Meg O'Reilly, Jennifer M. Brown

Dr Meg O'Reilly

This is a story from an Australian perspective of the changes in staff development approaches over the past few years, in response to the rapidly changing educational and technological environments. In particular the authors reflect upon initiatives implemented and those planned for the future at Southern Cross University, as a result of the impact of staff development activities in our own institution and in other Australian universities to date. The paper concludes with a plan for the Teaching and Learning Centre’s website to move beyond delivery of information, exemplars and resources, to support a program of active immersion of staff …

Resource Directory For Assessing Learners Online, Meg O'Reilly

Dr Meg O'Reilly

To address the need for critical research, and to target access to the wide range of resources in the field of online assessment practices in higher education now published on the Internet itself, a research project has recently commenced at Southern Cross University. This project aims to improve the online assessment practices of academic staff through reflective practice and action research. An accompanying website is under development to provide a directory of resources including examples of the practices and theories pertaining to assessment online, as well as links to published literature. The poster presentation will provide access to this resource …

Educational Design As Transdisciplinary Partnership: Supporting Assessment Design For Online, Meg O'Reilly

Dr Meg O'Reilly

The design of student assessment for the online context can be a disquieting experience without the support of colleagues and a group of peers from across a range of disciplines with whom to share ideas. This paper reports on interviews conducted with academic “peak performers” as well as some educational design practitioners about the current practices of designing for online assessment. A transdisciplinary approach to educational design is proposed for further exploration.

Expect Respect Television Advertising Campaign: Evaluation Report, Chris White, Sallie Newell, Anne Graham

Professor Anne Graham

The Expect Respect project was a social marketing campaign to increase young people’s knowledge of the dynamics of healthy and unhealthy relationships. It represented the latest stage in an ongoing campaign by the Kids Really Count interagency committee (a collaboration between the Ballina Byron Family Centre, the NSW Strategy to Reduce Violence Against Women, Lismore & District Women’s Health Centre, Mullumbimby Community Health and Lismore City Council) to raise public awareness about the impact of domestic violence on children and young people. The Expect Respect television advertisement was developed following consultations with young people from diverse geographical environments and cultural …

News Literacy: What Works And What Doesn't, Renee Hobbs

Renee Hobbs

No abstract provided.

Creation Of A Statewide Survey Of Incentives And Disincentives For The Use Of Opencourseware In Utah, Anne M. Arendt

Anne M Arendt

Created for presentation at: Teaching with Technology Idea Exchange (TTIX) June 10, 2010 University of Utah; Salt Lake City, UT http://ttix.org/

This article examines the creation and distribution of a survey tool used to assess Utah resident views of incentives and disincentives for use of OpenCourseWare (OCW) and how they fit into the theoretical framework of perceived innovation attributes established by Rogers (1983).

This was a descriptive study that employed a survey method. This study consisted of three stages: a preliminary Delphi technique questionnaire based on Rogers (2003) attributes of innovation, a pilot study, and the primary study. In the …

Learning Spaces For The New Way Students Work, Helen Y. Chu

Helen Y. Chu

The Professional Doctorate On Webcd, Meg O'Reilly, Chris Morgan

Dr Meg O'Reilly

Students enrolled in Southern Cross University's (SCU) Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) are a unique group of senior business people. Their demand for greater flexibility of delivery and portability of study materials was the impetus for a redesign of this professional degree at SCU. With a rapidly growing student base around Australia and SEAsia, DBA study packages must be suitable for a very mobile and busy professional group. Most have convenient access to computers and network connection, unlike students in many other programs. On the other hand, DBA students do not have much time to devote to study. They are …

Development Of An Online Tutorial Using Camtasia Studio, Sally Neal, Jeana Rogers, Kenetha Stanton

Sally Neal

Presentation that details the development of a new plagiarism tutorial.

The Role Of University Web Pages In Staff Development: Supporting Teaching And Learning Online, Meg O'Reilly, Allan Ellis, Diane Newton

Dr Meg O'Reilly

This paper investigates the nature and quality of Web-based resources which support staff development in Australian universities. It details findings and recommendations derived from publicly accessible Web pages containing resources, information, activities and models provided by university centres concerned with the staff development for the online environment. Frameworks for this investigation were adopted from the literature on staff development, reflective practice and quality teaching in Higher Education. Two rounds of investigation were undertaken. The first round identified 32 of the 41 university Web sites visited as having an identifiable Teaching and Learning Centre (or equivalent) home page, as a starting …

Interaction Online: Above And Beyond The Requirements Of Assessment, Meg O'Reilly, Diane Newton

Dr Meg O'Reilly

Today’s literature is filled with new paradigms for learning, specifically in relation to the increasing adoption of computer-mediated techniques for interactive learning. In many cases, learning may now be enhanced through the experience of a shared online environment for critical discussion, knowledge building and the establishment of supportive social communities. Research data obtained from social science students at Southern Cross University over two semesters reveals students’ perceptions of the importance of online discussion whether these are assessable or not. This paper presents some findings and explores the impact of the emergence of a student-centred social learning environment.

Interaction Online: Above And Beyond Requirements Of Assessment, Meg O'Reilly, Diane Newton

Dr Meg O'Reilly

Today's literature is filled with new paradigms for learning, specifically in relation to the increasing adoption of computer mediated techniques for interactive learning. In many cases, learning may now be enhanced through the experience of a shared online environment for critical discussion, knowledge building and the establishment of supportive social communities. Research data obtained from social science students at Southern Cross University over two semesters reveals students' perceptions of the importance of online discussion whether these are assessable or not. This paper presents some findings and explores the impact of the emergence of a student-centred social learning environment.