Education Commons^™

Careers In Research And Volunteering, Marta Garcia, Michelle Chafin

ECU Research Week

The presentation covers the professional career service and job search coaching available to all current students and alumni and the opportunities available for volunteering, mentoring and leadership opportunities.

Factors Influencing Job Attainment In Recent Bachelor Graduates: Evidence From Australia, Denise Jackson

Research outputs 2013

Favourable graduate employment outcomes are critical for future enrolments in higher education. Enrolments fund higher education providers and ensure a continuous supply of graduates to enhance organisational effectiveness, national productivity and global competitiveness. Recent evidence suggests the global financial crisis has softened graduate labour markets. Stakeholder concerns for graduate career prospects and the adequacy of return on investment from studying at university prompt exploration of those factors which influence graduate employment outcomes. This study tests, using logistic regression, a model of job attainment in recent Bachelor graduates of Australian higher education providers using national data gathered in 2011 (n …

Building Leadership Capacity In Undergraduate Students: Final Report For Altc Teaching Fellowship, Lynne Cohen

Research outputs 2013

This Fellowship addressed the significant issue of leadership. Its primary focus was researching and developing leadership skills in undergraduate students. The Fellowship was designed to develop and trial a leadership program specifically to enhance the competencies and skills of undergraduate students beyond their discipline knowledge. A group of universities across Australia agreed to participate in a pilot program to respond to the following identified issues.

• The area of leadership development in undergraduates has been under-researched and under-debated in recent work about graduate attributes, generic skills, and work integrated learning.

• There has been considerable focus on leadership development for …

Enhancing The Uptake Of Learning Through Simulation In Health, Cobie Rudd

Research outputs 2013

The initial reason that a simulated learning environment (SLE) was pursued was to offer university-based health students a safe and authentic environment in which to learn and practise their skills. Since that time, some eight years later, experience has shown that an SLE needed multiple dimensions to its work, based on evidence. In addition, a new approach to applying and integrating learning through simulation within health curricula, that was replicable and affordable, was required...

Editorial 23(2): Special Issue: Teaching And Learning In Higher Education: Western Australia's Tl Forum, Roger Atkinson, Clare Mcbeath, Anne Coffey, Sarah Etherington, Pamela Martin-Lynch, Catherine Moore, Angus Morrison-Saunders, Sid Nair, Megan Paull, Rob Philips

Research outputs 2013

The Teaching and Learning Forum series of annual conferences has been conducted since 1992 by the five universities in Perth, Western Australia, namely Curtin University, Edith Cowan University, Murdoch University, The University of Notre Dame Australia, and The University of Western Australia. After 22 years of TL Forums, it is timely to present this Special issue of Issues in Educational Research, for which the broad purpose is to advance fine examples of the TL Forum's activities, selected from one of its categories, namely full papers accepted via a peer review process.

Completing A Phd By Publication: A Review Of Australian Policy And Implications For Practice, Denise Jackson

Research outputs 2013

There is increasing impetus for higher degree by research students to publish during candidature. Research performance, including higher degree completions and publication output, commonly determines university funding and doctorates with publishing experience are better positioned for a career in softening academic labour markets. The PhD by Publication provides a pathway for candidates to foster and demonstrate their publishing capabilities. It also provides existing academics a means of achieving doctoral status while managing the ‘publish or perish’ milieu endemic to their work. This paper clarifies the precise nature and significance of the PhD by Publication pathway in the Australian context and …

Self-Assessment Of Employability Skill Outcomes Among Undergraduates And Alignment With Academic Ratings, Denise Jackson

Research outputs 2013

Despite acknowledgement of the benefits of self-assessment in higher education, disparity between student and academic assessments, with associated trends in over- and underrating, plagues its meaningful use, particularly as a tool for formal assessment. This study examines self-assessment of capabilities in certain employability skills in more than 1000 Australian business undergraduates. It evaluates the extent to which student self-assessments differ from academics, in what ways and the influence of certain individual and background characteristics - such as stage of degree, gender and academic ability - on rating accuracy. Explanations for documented disparities are presented, in addition to implications and strategies …

The Contribution Of Work-Integrated Learning To Undergraduate Employability Skill Outcomes, Denise Jackson

Research outputs 2013

WIL has attracted considerable attention as an instrument for enhancing professional practice and developing work-readiness in new graduates. It is widely considered as a point of difference in developing graduate employability by enhancing skill outcomes, such as team-work, communication, self-management and problem solving, employment prospects and student understanding of the world-of-work. This paper investigates the role of WIL in improving undergraduate employability skills; gauging its impact on a range of skills; and identifying variations in outcomes for certain demographic, study background and placement characteristics using survey data from 131 WIL students in an Australian university. Results indicate a significant improvement …

Service Design 101: The Joy And Challenge Of Introducing Service Design Into An Undergraduate Design Curriculum, Christopher Kueh, Stuart Medley, Alun Price

Research outputs 2013

This paper describes the introduction of service design into a university design course that previously promoted itself as industry-based and practice-driven—but which had not necessarily kept pace with the contemporary meanings of these terms. The followings discuss the need to teach service design in Western Australia. These are being highlighted through the latest development in business community, government and NGOs that seek innovation and sustainability. Edith Cowan University Design Department therefore is committed to teach socially-focused projects (such as wayfinding; civic identity; designing out crime) connect students with the public and real clients through collaborative practice and social design workshops. …

Using Semiotic Resources When Building Images Of The Part-Whole Model Of Fractions, Paula M. Mildenhall

Research outputs 2013

This paper reports an exploration in to the use of a combination of semiotic resources when teaching the part- whole model of fractions. The study involved a single case study of one class teacher and six students in an Australian primary classroom. Using video as the predominate research tool it was possible to describe how gesture and language were combined with two and three dimensional representations of folding paper, fraction walls and number lines to build images that appeared to enhance student understanding of the part- whole of fractions. I conjecture that the variety semiotic resources including gesture should have …

Promoting The Case For Using A Research Journal To Document And Reflect On The Research Experience, David Lamb

Research outputs 2013

This paper draws upon a personal research journey and makes the case for recording this experience using a research journal. tol The context for this paper is based on a study of family life and leisure, which collected data using more traditional qualitative methods, namely focus groups and interviews with pre-birth and post birth couples and leisure managers in New Zealand. The research design for this study was based on phenomenology, where the experience of the subjects being studied was significant and involved developing an understanding of the lived experiences of pre-birth and post-birth couples, where the way they acted …

The Piloting Of An Academic Literacy Education Course (Alec) To Improve Academic Literacy Of First Semester Undergraduate Students In A Western Australian University, Joyce M. Hendricks, Lesley J. Andrew, Amanda C. Fowler

Research outputs 2013

Widening participation has enabled access to higher education for an increasing number of students via a range of non-traditional pathways. Consequently, whilst having a large repertoire of skills and experience, these students may not have developed sufficient competence in academic literacy. The School of Nursing and Midwifery has a large proportion of such students who have difficulty making the academic transition to university study. It is believed that a ‘built in’ approach to supporting these students to develop academic literacy will result in an improvement in their abilities to meet the requirements of the University and to better prepare them …

Prisoner Education And Training, And Other Characteristics: Western Australia, July 2005 To June 2010, Margaret Giles, Jacqui Whale

Research outputs 2011

Executive summary

Spending public funds on educating and training prisoners can generate a significant return on investment, because as this report argues, studying in prison can reduce costly recidivism and improve life outcomes for ex-prisoners. What are the costs of recidivism? Let’s start with incarceration. Prisoners cost money - about $110,000 per prisoner a year. With over 4,000 prisoners in WA prisons at any one time and a turnover of 8,000 prisoners per year, incarceration is a costly business. In addition, there are policing and legal costs related to finding, charging and sentencing alleged offenders; as well as costs to …

Learning With Portable Digital Devices In Australian Schools: 20 Years On!, Christopher P. Newhouse

Research outputs 2013

Portable computing technologies such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, wireless networking, voice/stylus input, and plug and play peripheral devices, appear to offer the means of finally realising much of the long heralded vision for computers to support learning in schools. There is the possibility for the technology to finally become a ubiquitously invisible component of the learning environment, empowering children to attempt feats well beyond their current capabilities. These technologies are finding a place in many schools, and there has now been over two decades of research conducted into their use in schools. What is now known about implementing portable computing …

Student Perceptions Of The Importance Of Employability Skill Provision In Business Undergraduate Programs, Denise Jackson

Research outputs 2013

Studies examining student perceptions of employability skill development in business undergraduate programs are limited. Assurance of student buy-in is important to ensure learners engage with skill provision; to enable them to articulate their capabilities to potential employers and to facilitate the transfer of acquired skills. This study examines 1019 students’ perceptions of the importance of employability skill development, the relative importance of skills and the influence of certain demographic/background characteristics. Findings indicate undergraduates value skill development, most particularly communication and team-working, and some significant variations in importance ratings. Alignment with other stakeholder perceptions and the influence of context are discussed.

Using Digital Technologies To Improve The Authenticity Of Performance Assessment For High-Stakes Purposes, Christopher P. Newhouse

Research outputs 2013

This paper reports on the outcomes of a three-year study investigating the use of digital technologies to increase the authenticity of high-stakes summative assessment in four Western Australian senior secondary courses. The study involved 82 teachers and 1015 students and a range of digital forms of assessment using computer-based exams, digital portfolios and audiovisual recordings. The results were analysed using a feasibility framework concerning manageability, technical facility, functional operation and pedagogic alignment. By the end of the study, each form of assessment that was implemented was found to be feasible once some obstacles were overcome. Two methods of marking were …

Resilience: The Role Of Optimism, Perceived Parental Autonomy Support And Perceived Social Support In First Year University Students, Michelle Dawson, Julie Ann Pooley

Research outputs 2013

Throughout our lifespan we face many challenges which are often referred to as transitions. The move to university is one such transition which may place individuals at risk of suffering ongoing significant life stress, anxiety and uncertainty. Optimism, promotion of independent functioning (PIF), promotion of volitional functioning (PVF) and perceived social support (PSS) appear to be beneficial in coping with university transition and positive adaptation to adversity as well as being associated both directly and indirectly with resilience. This study was conducted in two stages which examined the mechanisms of optimism, PIF, PVF and PSS and their predictive relationship with …

A Collaborative And Consultative Approach To Embedding Employability Skills Across The Curriculum, Diane Bunney, Leonard Therry

Research outputs 2013

This paper describes how a collaborative and consultative approach was applied to the embedding of employability skills across the twelve unit Master of Professional Accounting by one School in an Australian university. Three distinct phases are carried out in this project and reported on in this paper. The first phase involved identification of key employability skills. The second phase involved gathering of information from unit co-ordinators teaching in the program. Four main sources were investigated: unit plans, questionnaires, interviews, and then follow-up questionnaires. Information from these sources revealed that there was no co-ordinated approach to addressing employability skills in the …

News From Wa......(More Than Just Iron Ore And Great Footy Teams) – Policy Principles To Course Design, Andrew Jones, Dawn Penney

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

In February 2007 a new senior secondary Physical Education Studies (PES) was introduced in Western Australia (WA). The course was one of some 50 new courses that were developed in conjunction with the introduction of new Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE). This presentation draws on initial findings from a PhD study that is investigating curriculum change and reform, specifically in the context of the initial years of implementation of PES in WA. The study draws on Bernstein’s (1990) model of the social construction of pedagogic discourse as a framework to locate and position teachers in relation to other partners …

Identifying Students Requiring English Language Support: What Role Can A Pela Play?, Anne J. Harris

Research outputs 2013

The number of higher education providers implementing a post-entry English Language Assessment (PELA) has increased exponentially in the past six years. This uptake has been driven largely by the “Good Practice Principles”, the TEQSA Act 2011, and TEQSA’s Quality Assessment on English Language Proficiency. Evidence suggests that at least 50% of Australian universities now offer some form of PELA, but few compel students to complete it. This paper discusses four years of learning that took place in one university, beginning with trialling a range of PELAs through to the endorsement of a short written task in all undergraduate courses. It …

Building The Systematic Teaching Of Reading Across Independent Schools: 2011-2012: Final Report, Deslea Konza, Paul Woodley

Research outputs 2013

The PALL project commenced in March 2011 with principals and other school leaders of 19 schools from the Association of Independent Schools in Western Australia, and concluded in November 2012. Participants attended five professional learning modules that centred on the leadership of literacy learning (specifically reading) and carried out activities between modules to connect their learning with practical action in their schools. Supporting these activities was a Mentor, whose task was to assist principals to understand and internalise key messages from the workshops, to implement interventions in reading consistent with the learning undertaken during the modules, and to support leaders …

Expanding The Vision: Synthetic Phonics In Action Ii, Deslea Konza

Research outputs 2013

The Yorke and Mid North - Roxby Downs Area School (YMN-RDAS) Literacy Project in 2013 was largely an extension of the literacy project conducted with the YMN region of the South Australian Department of Education and Child Development in 2012. The 2012 project outcomes were very positive (see Konza, 2013) and funding was made available for continuation of the main elements of the project with another cohort of primary schools in 2013. As was the case with the YMN 2012 project, it was designed to ‘value-add’ to the Principals as Literacy Leaders (PALL) project which had been implemented in the …

Creating Cultural Empathy And Challenging Attitudes Through Indigenous Narratives, Cobie Rudd, Moira Sim, Colleen Hayward, Toni Wain

Research outputs 2013

The poorer health status of Indigenous Australians has been largely attributed to social disadvantage and their marginalisation within mainstream society (Marmot, 2011). This includes access to health care, as well as proximity to health services, availability and cultural appropriateness of health services, transport availability, health insurance, the affordability of health services and patient proficiency in English (AIHW, 2011).

The interpersonal attitudes and behaviours of non-Indigenous health providers, both conscious and unconscious, are also known to contribute to disparities in treatment, impairment of communication between health providers and patients, and consequently, patients’ mistrust of the health system due to negative past …

Assessment For “Digital First Language” Speakers: Online Video Assessment And Feedback In Higher Education, Will Turner, John West

Research outputs 2013

While feedback has been highlighted as the most powerful influence on student achievement, Weaver (2006) noted that up to 40% of tertiary students lack confidence in their feedback and many students express dissatisfaction with this aspect of their student experience (Rodway-Dyer, Dunne, & Newcombe, 2009). Chasms remain between academic feedback and student feed forward outputs, as research suggests that feedback is undervalued by “unresponsive” tertiary students due to misunderstanding, inconsistencies and lack of clarity, and that feedback is not as effective as staff imagine. This paper explores student and staff perceptions of a video feedback model for tertiary institutions. Each …

Business Graduate Employability – Where Are We Going Wrong?, Denise Jackson

Research outputs 2013

Persistent gaps in certain non-technical skills in business graduates continue to impact on organisational performance and global competitiveness. Despite business school’s best efforts in developing non-technical skills, widely acknowledged as fundamental to graduate employability, there has been considerably less attention to measuring skill outcomes and even less on their subsequent transfer to the workplace. It appears stakeholders are assuming transfer occurs automatically in graduates, neglecting the influence of learning program, learner and workplace characteristics on this complex process and its potential impact on graduate employability.

This paper unpacks the concept of transfer and proposes a model of graduate employability which …

University Student Volunteering Alignment With Sustainability Principles, Rowena H. Scott, Eddie J. Van Etten

Research outputs 2013

This research paper reviews the concept and practice of tertiary sciences students doing environmental volunteering, otherwise known as conservation volunteering, as a core part of their course to check its alignment with sustainability principles. First year Natural Sciences students at Edith Cowan University do five days environmental volunteer work with community groups as practicum. Initial research data displays the number of volunteer hours done by students in various types of activities, locations and organisations. Preliminary quantitative evaluations and qualitative comments demonstrate students’ positive attitudes and outcomes from their volunteering experiences. Definitions and classifications of sustainability from current literature are discussed …

Digital Representation Of Visual Artworks For High-Stakes Assessment, Christopher P. Newhouse

Research outputs 2013

The collection and marking of student artwork across a large jurisdiction such as Western Australia is challenging where the work is submitted to a central location to be marked by experts and returned to students. An alternative approach would be to submit digital representations of the artworks online for marking. However, to give a valid and reliable measure the representations would need to be of adequate quality. Further, judgements of artworks are necessarily subjective giving concern about the reliability of marking for high-stakes assessment. The comparative pairs method of marking lends itself to addressing this problem and is feasible where …

Ict In The Australian Curriculum, Christopher P. Newhouse

Research outputs 2013

The new Australian Curriculum aims to be suitable for the needs of 21st Century society and as such has explicitly defined a number of key roles to digital technologies. This should provide opportunities for schools and teachers to build on past reforms and prepare for the future. Over the past few years I have had various roles contributing to the development of sections of the Australian Curriculum, specifically the Technologies curriculum area, the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) general capability, and the embedding of ICT use across some of the curriculum areas. In this paper I explain my personal understanding …

Computer-Based Exams In Schools: Freedom From The Limitations Of Paper?, Christopher Paul Newhouse

Research outputs 2013

There is little doubt that the curriculum content and pedagogy in schools is driven by the structure and forms of assessment employed, particularly for summative purposes. When most such assessment was limited to what a student could do with a pen and paper in short ‘exams’ this pushed the content of the curriculum towards small descriptive chunks, and the pedagogy towards memorisation and replication techniques. Over the past two decades alternative forms of assessment supported by the power of computer systems have been conceived and tried. This paper discusses progress towards various forms of computer-based exams and how these may …

Five Year Olds Doing Science And Technology: How Teachers Shape The Conversation, Anne Thwaite, Graham Mckay

Research outputs 2013

This paper presents an analysis of a series of lessons observed and recorded over nine weeks in a pre-primary classroom where children were undertaking science and technology activities. Using a functional discourse analysis, we describe how teachers use various strategies to structure the discourse to facilitate children's learning in this area. These strategies include various methods of controlling the topic and discourse participants, techniques involving questioning, ways of dealing with vocabulary and constructing inclusive relationships with children. We propose that explication of these discourse strategies is a valuable research tool for pre-service and new teachers who are evolving their own …