Education Commons^™

Development Of The New Academic: The Case For Blended Delivery, Boris Handal, Elaine Huber

Boris Handal

This case study reports the design, implementation and evaluation of an academic induction program, delivered using a blend of in campus and online environments at Macquarie University.

Collaborative Self-Study Supporting New Technology: The Mahara E-Portfolio Project, Philippa Gerbic, Marguerite Maher

Marguerite Maher

E-portfolios have long been used to support learning and development and to showcase achievement. This paper discusses a new and innovative use of e-portfolios which relates to the ways in which they can support collaborative research. The collaborative self-study which accompanied the implementation of an e-portfolio within a teacher education programme is described and then followed by discussion of three of its features. These were the value of the collaboration for supporting the deep understanding of a new technology, ethical issues for such a research study and the use of the e-portfolio environment as a data collection instrument.

Managing Student Distraction: Responding To Problems Of Gaming And Pornography In A Western Australian School For Boys, Frank G. Bate, Jean M. Macnish, Steven Males

Jean MacNish

This paper provides some initial findings from a current longitudinal study that examines the implementation of a 1:1 laptop program in a school for boys in Perth, Western Australia. One issue that has emerged from the study is the problem of managing student distraction. The school in this study has taken a proactive approach to managing student conduct on its own network. Two student monitoring initiatives were implemented during the course of the research. The first: parental control software sought to integrate the parental control features of the laptops with the school network. The second initiative: e-safe is a web …

Pre-Service Teachers Using The Le@Rning Federation's Digital Resources., Chris Campbell, Jean Macnish

Jean MacNish

This work in progress paper describes research that is investigating the use of learning objects, created by, and digital resources, negotiated by The Le@rning Federation and their use in a technology unit in pre-service teacher education as well as investigating how these learning objects are being used by the pre-service students while out in schools during their practicum. This study will have data collection in 2010 which will involve approximately 700 students across two campuses of the university which are located in Sydney and Fremantle. The study uses a qualitative research methodology and involves questionnaires as the primary data collection …

A Teaching Team: More Than The Sum Of Its Parts, Lorraine Day, Derek Hurrell

Derek Hurrell

Team teaching is not a new idea with a history spanning more than 40 years. It is an enduring idea yet its practice would not be the norm in most Australian school settings and across most content areas. This paper discusses the experiences of two educators who were given the opportunity to team teach in the area of mathematics education at a tertiary institution. It explores some of the challenges and joys of working in an educational environment which celebrates discourse, questioning and risk taking while modelling a collaborative approach for students.
Keywords: team teaching, professional practice, pedagogy, tertiary teaching, …

Managing Major Educational Change: Is The Cyclical Integration Model The Answer?, Richard G. Berlach

Richard Berlach

Where minds meet, there lies the change vector. I have for a long time been fascinated by the way in which change, and specifically educational change, is managed. More often than not it seems, minds fail to meet in a crucial change-space. They either unwittingly zip past each other, deliberately avoid one another, or worse still, collide with excruciating force. This paper examines the interrelated role of government, the public service and teachers in successfully transitioning major change. It is argued that unless these bodies operate in synchrony, change negotiation is likely to be hampered. To this end, a model …

Grouping & Regrouping Using Mixintools: An Exploratory Study, Richard G. Berlach, Keith Mcnaught

Richard Berlach

On a regular basis, teachers find it necessary to place children into groups for instruction. Random assignment is typically the norm when group composition is immaterial to the task. When member-sensitive groups need to be created, teachers might associate specific assignment with colours, numbers or other coding systems. Mixintools offers the teacher a strategy for creating groups in an enjoyable, expedient and variable fashion. Or does it? The purpose of this research was to determine whether the resource had any value from the perspective of both the teacher and the student. Data were sourced from three primary schools and one …

Outcomes-Based Education And The Death Of Knowledge, Richard G. Berlach

Richard Berlach

In a far off time, in the confederacy of Oz, teaching and learning coexisted in an artistically symbiotic relationship. Then the experts came along. No, not experts in educational theory, but experts in the art of Isms – scientific rationalism, reductionism, Fordism, Taylorism, sophism, postmodernism and above all, obscurantism. They took their Isms and applied them to the art of education, and lo and behold, outcomes-based education was born. The Ismistic parents cooed and gloated over their cleverly conceived offspring. In fact, the Ismites within one state of the confederacy hailed this birth as a watershed in education, a paradigm …

Developing A Model For Teacher Formation In Religious Education, Chris Hackett

Chris Hackett

The intent of this paper is to demonstrate how the development of research-based modelling can assist teachers and decision-makers in making improvements to the processes of curriculum implementation. The paper presents a model of teacher formation based upon findings from a two-year study on the responses of recently assigned Religious Education (RARE) teachers in Catholic secondary schools within Western Australia. Data from the study provided evidence that these teachers experienced deepening layers of personal and professional growth as they implemented a newly drafted RE Curriculum. The model provides a framework that caters for the desire of RARE teachers to be …

Student Ministry: Preparing Young People As Leaders For The 21st Century, Chris Hackett, Shane D. Lavery

Chris Hackett

Ministry with young people has never been more important. Ever-increasing local, national and global concerns demand that schools must do more than prepare young people as responsible citizens. They must prepare young people as emerging leaders with a civic conscience who proactively seek solutions to issues such as increased poverty, the plight of refugees, terrorism, climate change, and corporate greed. This article is about student ministry. Student ministry, as defined in this article, specifically aims to build leadership capacity in school students. In particular, the article attempts to highlight the distinctiveness of student ministry and those ways it promotes and …

Designing Assistive Technology Training For Paraprofessionals, Dianne J. Chambers

Dianne Chambers

With an increase in the number of students with disabilities being included in regular education settings internationally, there has also been a subsequent increase in the number of paraprofessionals supporting these students (Ghere & York-Barr, 2007; Giangreco, Smith & Pinckney, 2006). In many school situations, the paraprofessional holds responsibility for assisting students with special needs to access the curriculum of the classroom, as well as to manage the social and emotional environment (Carter, O'Rourke, Sisco & Pelsue, 2009).

Service-Learning – Preparing Students For Leadership, Shane D. Lavery

Shane D Lavery

This paper explores ways in which participating in a service-learning program can enhance student leadership in secondary schools. The research is based on the perceptions of teachers who coordinate service-learning in eleven Catholic secondary schools in Western Australia. The paper initially examines literature on student leadership, servant leadership and service-learning. The research methodology is then summarized, in particular, the rationale for using Catholic schools, an indication of the range of schools involved, and an outline of the questionnaire. Teacher perceptions are considered, initially in the contexts of the Structure of Service-Learning and Rationale for Service-Learning. This is followed by teacher …

Student Ministry: Preparing Young People As Leaders For The 21st Century, Chris Hackett, Shane D. Lavery

Shane D Lavery

Ministry with young people has never been more important. Ever-increasing local, national and global concerns demand that schools must do more than prepare young people as responsible citizens. They must prepare young people as emerging leaders with a civic conscience who proactively seek solutions to issues such as increased poverty, the plight of refugees, terrorism, climate change, and corporate greed. This article is about student ministry. Student ministry, as defined in this article, specifically aims to build leadership capacity in school students. In particular, the article attempts to highlight the distinctiveness of student ministry and those ways it promotes and …

Strategies For Hope And Sustainability, The Beginning Principal: Needs And Challenges, Debra Sayce, Shane D. Lavery

Shane D Lavery

Since the 1990s, educational leaders in developed countries have experienced significant change across all educational systems. To date, this momentum for rapid change has continued unabated. Political pressures on schools continue to increase as short term governments expect improvements in educational outcomes in shortened periods of time. Public expectations of performance by schools are intensifying. School effectiveness dominates professional discourse. Learning technologies have expanded. Family contexts have changed and the nature of the educational workforce is dictated by society s economic and social situation. Catholic school principals, in addition to coping with such issues, are also regarded as leaders within …

Managing Student Distraction: Responding To Problems Of Gaming And Pornography In A Western Australian School For Boys, Frank G. Bate, Jean M. Macnish, Steven Males

Education Conference Papers

This paper provides some initial findings from a current longitudinal study that examines the implementation of a 1:1 laptop program in a school for boys in Perth, Western Australia. One issue that has emerged from the study is the problem of managing student distraction. The school in this study has taken a proactive approach to managing student conduct on its own network. Two student monitoring initiatives were implemented during the course of the research. The first: parental control software sought to integrate the parental control features of the laptops with the school network. The second initiative: e-safe is a web …

The Name Four Factor Model For Engaging Students In Academic Support Services, Keith Mcnaught, Elizabeth Beal

Education Conference Papers

This paper describes the first student experience survey of a newly established academic and support service, delivered by an “Academic Enabling and Support Centre” (AESC) at The University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle campus. The purpose of the study was to identify the key factors that would be likely to increase student access and participation rates, and accordingly enhance student outcomes. There was an overt institutional focus on the needs of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, driven, in part, by the national agenda to increase student diversity and participation in the tertiary sector. The survey demonstrated that several operational aspects related …

Using ‘Core Academic Literacy’ Course Results To Create A Profile For Potentially ‘At Risk’ Students, Keith Mcnaught, Fleur Mcintyre

Education Conference Papers

This paper suggests students who are ‘at risk’ might also be identified through the analysis of performance within a core academic literary unit, taken within the first semester of their course. By identifying students with a low pass score in a core academic literacy unit, and analysing these students by a range of factors, a course and/or faculty specific ‘at risk’ profile may be created. In an analysis of students undertaking a Health Science core academic literacy unit in Semester 1, 2010, and tracking those students over their first year of studies, three factors, when in combination, emerged to create …

The Importance Of Induction Programmes For Beginning Teachers In Independent Catholic Secondary Schools In New South Wales, Sean P. Kearney

Education Conference Papers

Beginning teacher induction is an important process in acculturating teachers to their new profession (Kearney, 2010). Researchers argue that the first year of teaching is crucial in the success, retention and development of teachers (Smith & Ingersoll 2004). The aim of this research is to ascertain the effectiveness of induction programmes in Catholic Independent High Schools in NSW; establish whether those programmes are congruent with what the literature deems as best practice; and to determine the implications this has for policy for the independent school sector. The study will comprise: an extensive literature review; a document review of induction/mentoring policies …

Development Of The New Academic: The Case For Blended Delivery, Boris Handal, Elaine Huber

Education Conference Papers

This case study reports the design, implementation and evaluation of an academic induction program, delivered using a blend of in campus and online environments at Macquarie University.

Developing Students' Capacity For Innovation, Creativity And Critical Thinking Through Contemporary Forms Of Assessment, Sean P. Kearney, Tim Perkins

Education Conference Papers

In continuing with the forms and methods of assessment that for decades have pervaded higher education, are we devaluing the education we provide and disengaging students in the process?

Why do we assess? What is our purpose and for whose benefit do we assess? Are these benefits achieved through current practices? These are the questions that need to be addressed.

The demands on educators to provide valuable, student-centred assessment and feedback have never been greater. Feedback is one of the most powerful influences on learning and achievement (Hattie, 2007), and how we construct and evaluate these tasks to provide feedback …

Improving Engagement: The Use Of ‘Authentic Self And Peer Assessment For Learning’ To Enhance The Student Learning Experience, Sean P. Kearney, Tim Perkins

Education Conference Papers

The University system in the United States has been criticized for depersonalizing education (Tae 2009). The depersonalization of learning shows a lack of engagement on the part of the educator and the student and consequently the university. We ask the question: Can incorporating self and peer assessment into tertiary studies help to reengage students in their education?

Innovative assessment practices have the capacity to significantly change the perceptions of students with regard to their tertiary studies. Assessment drives learning (Boud, 1990); however, the wrong type of assessment drives the wrong type of learning. Traditional tests, meaningless essays, research projects that …

Designing Assistive Technology Training For Paraprofessionals, Dianne J. Chambers

Education Conference Papers

With an increase in the number of students with disabilities being included in regular education settings internationally, there has also been a subsequent increase in the number of paraprofessionals supporting these students (Ghere & York-Barr, 2007; Giangreco, Smith & Pinckney, 2006). In many school situations, the paraprofessional holds responsibility for assisting students with special needs to access the curriculum of the classroom, as well as to manage the social and emotional environment (Carter, O'Rourke, Sisco & Pelsue, 2009).

The Role Of Ict In The Pedagogical Transformation Of Primary Teachers: Dream, Aspiration, Reality, Frank G. Bate

Education Conference Papers

This paper discusses findings from a recent longitudinal study that examined how 35 beginning teachers used information and communications technologies (ICT) in the first 3 years of their teaching. The research, set in Australia, adopted a mixed method approach to help understand the role that ICT played in the evolving pedagogical identities of the teachers involved. The study found that beginning teachers articulated pedagogical beliefs that aimed to engage their students in active meaning making. It also found that these teachers were competent in the use of a basic suite of ICT software. However, pedagogical beliefs that resonate with contemporary …

Pre-Service Teachers Using The Le@Rning Federation's Digital Resources., Chris Campbell, Jean Macnish

Education Conference Papers

This work in progress paper describes research that is investigating the use of learning objects, created by, and digital resources, negotiated by The Le@rning Federation and their use in a technology unit in pre-service teacher education as well as investigating how these learning objects are being used by the pre-service students while out in schools during their practicum. This study will have data collection in 2010 which will involve approximately 700 students across two campuses of the university which are located in Sydney and Fremantle. The study uses a qualitative research methodology and involves questionnaires as the primary data collection …

Tpack And The Real World: How Useful Is The Framework?, Frank G. Bate, Dorit Maor

Education Conference Papers

This paper describes a recent longitudinal study set in Australia which examined the extent to which early career teachers used information and communication technologies (ICT) in their classrooms. The study, which tracked 35 teachers through the first three years of their teaching, found a range of personal and socio-cultural factors that impacted on the extent to which ICT was used. In addressing personal factors such as teachers’ beliefs, knowledge and skills, the research drew upon the work of Mishra and Koehler (2006) to consider the inter-relationships between teachers’ technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK). The use of TPACK as an …

Sharing Learning Designs That Work., Leanne Cameron, Chris Campbell

Education Conference Papers

Sharing learning designs that have been previously trialled and proven successful is a means of disseminating innovation and best teaching practice whilst at the same time conserving teacher time and effort. Generic learning designs provide a lesson scaffold that can introduce innovative teaching strategies to lecturers without requiring them to become experts in learning design or theory. The LAMS Activity Planner is a tool that uses generic learning designs to provide comprehensive guidance for academics that will assist them in the development of inspiring learning design examples and supportive activities. In this paper, two learning design examples, WebQuests and Web …

Class Sizes: The Elephant Under The Carpet Of Ict Integration, Frank G. Bate

Education Conference Papers

This paper discusses findings from a recent longitudinal study that examined how 35 beginning teachers used information and communications technologies (ICT) in the first 3 years of their teaching. The research, set in Western Australia, adopted a mixed method approach to help understand the role that ICT played in the evolving pedagogical identities of the teachers involved. The study found that beginning teachers articulated pedagogical beliefs that aimed to engage their students in active meaning making. It also found that these teachers were competent in the use of a basic suite of ICT software. However, pedagogical beliefs that resonated with …

Student Ministry: Preparing Young People As Leaders For The 21st Century, Chris Hackett, Shane D. Lavery

Education Conference Papers

Ministry with young people has never been more important. Ever-increasing local, national and global concerns demand that schools must do more than prepare young people as responsible citizens. They must prepare young people as emerging leaders with a civic conscience who proactively seek solutions to issues such as increased poverty, the plight of refugees, terrorism, climate change, and corporate greed. This article is about student ministry. Student ministry, as defined in this article, specifically aims to build leadership capacity in school students. In particular, the article attempts to highlight the distinctiveness of student ministry and those ways it promotes and …

Strategies For Hope And Sustainability, The Beginning Principal: Needs And Challenges, Debra Sayce, Shane D. Lavery

Education Conference Papers

Since the 1990s, educational leaders in developed countries have experienced significant change across all educational systems. To date, this momentum for rapid change has continued unabated. Political pressures on schools continue to increase as short term governments expect improvements in educational outcomes in shortened periods of time. Public expectations of performance by schools are intensifying. School effectiveness dominates professional discourse. Learning technologies have expanded. Family contexts have changed and the nature of the educational workforce is dictated by society s economic and social situation. Catholic school principals, in addition to coping with such issues, are also regarded as leaders within …

Managing Major Educational Change: Is The Cyclical Integration Model The Answer?, Richard G. Berlach

Education Conference Papers

Where minds meet, there lies the change vector. I have for a long time been fascinated by the way in which change, and specifically educational change, is managed. More often than not it seems, minds fail to meet in a crucial change-space. They either unwittingly zip past each other, deliberately avoid one another, or worse still, collide with excruciating force. This paper examines the interrelated role of government, the public service and teachers in successfully transitioning major change. It is argued that unless these bodies operate in synchrony, change negotiation is likely to be hampered. To this end, a model …