Education Commons^™

The Purpose And Value For Students Of Pbl Groups For Learning, Vicki Skinner, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer, Tracey J. Winning

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Groups are central to problem-based learning (PBL) and educational and professional outcomes relevant to clinical education. However, PBL groups in practice may differ from theoretical conceptions of groups. Therefore, this study explored students’ understandings of the purpose and value of PBL groups for their learning. We conducted a naturalistic study with novice (first-year) students at two dental schools (Australia, Ireland), using observation and interviews analyzed thematically. Students constructed PBL learning as individual knowledge gain, and group purpose as information gathering and exchange; few students acknowledged the learning potential of group processes. Group value depended on assessment and curriculum context. Findings …

How Primary School Students Can Self-Manage Cognitive Load When Presented With Redundant Information, Faisal Mirza, Shirley Agostinho, Sharon K. Tindall-Ford, Fred Paas

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the 8th Cognitive Load Theory Conference, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA, June 15th - 17th, 2015.

How Finger Tracing Of Temperature Graphs On An Ipad Can Support Primary School Students' Learning, Shirley Agostinho, Sharon K. Tindall-Ford, Paul Ginns, Steven J. Howard, Wayne Leahy, Fred Paas

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the 8th Cognitive Load Theory Conference, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA, June 15th - 17th, 2015.

Using Cognitive Load Compliant Instructions To Support Working Memory For Anxious Students, Deborah Chadwick, Sharon K. Tindall-Ford, Shirley Agostinho, Fred Paas

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the 8th Cognitive Load Theory Conference, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA, June 15th - 17th, 2015.

Why First-In-Family Uni Students Should Receive More Support, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Many university students fall into one of the six “equity groups” that receive targeted funding. However, there is one group that has for too long been ignored as a group that needs extra assistance in making it through university.

The six targeted equity groups include those:

• from lower socioeconomic backgrounds: currently measured by permanent home postcode

• from rural and isolated areas: measured by permanent postcode, population density data and proximity to cities

• with a disability (self-identified on enrolment)

• from a non-English-speaking background (those born overseas and who speak a language other than English)

• women in non-traditional areas of study; and …

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Getting Students Into Uni Is One Thing, But How To Keep Them There?, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea, Paul A. Chandler, Valerie Harwood

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has revealed Labor's policy platform for higher education, saying the focus would be on retaining students in higher education and curbing the numbers dropping out. The students most at risk of not graduating are those from equity backgrounds including low socioeconomic and Indigenous students. So how do we make sure these students complete their degrees? Labor has been light on detail, but we know of some things that would help.

'University Wasn't Spoken About At Home, It Was Just Assumed That We Would Start Working…': First-In-Family Students, Family Capital And Higher Education Participation, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The increases in the number of students attending higher education, particularly those who are the first in their immediate family to attend university provided the impetus for the study outlined in this article. Whilst previous research has explored the qualitative experience of being a first in family student, very few studies have explicitly focussed on how attending university interacts and impacts upon the immediate family of the learner. Drawing upon in-depth semi-structured interviews, this article will detail the findings from a small-scale study conducted in an Australian university that explored the interaction of the family home place and students' enactment …

Physics Students' Social Media Learning Behaviors And Connectedness, Rachel Moll, Wendy S. Nielsen, Cedric Linder

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Drawing on a complexity thinking perspective on learning, the conditions of emergence for complex systems were used as an analytic framework to characterize social media learning behaviours for their potential to promote connectedness. The authors' analysis identifies trends in secondary and tertiary physics students' social media use from focus group interview data and characterizes the nature of these behaviours for their potential to benefit students' understanding of the content of science curricula. While the authors' study focuses on physics learning, they propose implications that extend to other science learning contexts vis-a-vis how to transform connectivity learning behaviours into connectedness learning …

An Examination Of Pre-Service Teachers' Attributions For Students With Specific Learning Difficulties, Stuart Woodcock, Wilma Vialle

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

One of the most important factors in the successful inclusion of students with specific learning difficulties in mainstream classrooms is the teacher. Despite strong support for inclusion, mainstream teachers still demonstrate mixed responses to the inclusion of certain students in the classrooms. Further, their attitudes towards inclusion seem to be formed during their initial training. The purpose of this research was to examine the attitudes of pre-service teachers towards students with specific learning difficulties by analyzing their attributional responses to hypothetical students. Participants included 205 pre-service teachers, and the results demonstrated that the pre-service teachers' attributional responses differed according to …

Leading School Communities To Implement A Sustainable School-Wide Model Leading To Enhancing Learning Outcomes For Students With Asd, Amanda A. Webster, Jane Wilkinson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The crucial role of school leaders in inclusive schools for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has received more attention in recent years. A pilot study was conducted in three Australian/Queensland schools to trial a shared model of school leadership in implementing a whole school approach for students with ASD. Schools established an ASD leadership team, which was headed up by the school principal and head of special education (HOSE) but also included a classroom teacher, and a parent of a child with ASD. Together the principal and HOSE led the team in assessing their current practices and establishing an …

Does Using Active Learning In Thermodynamics Lectures Improve Students' Conceptual Understanding And Learning Experiences?, Helen Georgiou, Manjula Sharma

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Encouraging 'active learning' in the large lecture theatre emerges as a credible recommendation for improving university courses, with reports often showing significant improvements in learning outcomes. However, the recommendations are based predominantly on studies undertaken in mechanics. We set out to examine those claims in the thermodynamics module of a large first year physics course with an established technique, called interactive lecture demonstrations (ILDs). The study took place at University of Sydney, where four parallel streams of the thermodynamics module were divided into two streams that experienced the ILDs and two streams that did not. The programme was first implemented …

Intellectually Gifted Students Often Have Learning Disabilities, Catherine M. Wormald

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Mention the terms "intellectual giftedness" and "learning disability" and there is a general understanding of what each term means. However, most people are unaware that in many circumstances the two can go hand in hand. Current US research suggests that 14% of children who are identified as being intellectually gifted may also have a learning disability. This is compared to about 4% of children in the general population. No-one has been able to explain this discrepancy. While children who are intellectually gifted are acknowledged, the fact that some of these students could also have a learning disability is ignored. Teachers …

Filling Up Silences-First In Family Students, Capital And University Talk In The Home, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Internationally, research has indicated that returning to education for older learners provides the means for growth and change, for some students this can translate into a sense of 'empowerment' and control in their personal lives. However, what is not so well researched is how having a significant 'other' present within the university landscape impacts the household and other family members. Exploring how this return to education influences others provides a basis for institutional approaches to engaging with and supporting the lifelong learning of family members, ultimately assisting in the access and participation of current and future generations. This article draws …

The Teacher Care Project: Enhancing Motivation, Engagement And Effort Of A-Motivated Students, Dana J. Perlman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of different relatedness supportive settings on the motivation, engagement and effort of a-motivated students in secondary physical education. 147 a-motivated students from 5 schools were taught in a setting that was either high or low in support for their need of relatedness. Data were collected using a pretest and posttest design to examine a-motivated student's level of motivation, engagement and effort. Repeated measures ANOVA's with follow-up comparisons were utilized to analyze the data. Results indicated that students engaged in the high supportive setting significantly increased their levels of motivation, engagement …

"I 'Feel' Like I Am At University Even Though I Am Online." Exploring How Students Narrate Their Engagement With Higher Education Institutions In An Online Learning Environment, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea, Cathy Stone, Janine Delahunty

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This article outlines a collaborative study between higher education institutions in Australia, which qualitatively explored the online learning experience for undergraduate and postgraduate students. The project adopted a narrative inquiry approach and encouraged students to story their experiences of this virtual environment, providing a snapshot of how learning is experienced by those undertaking online studies. The study explores what impacted upon students' engagement in this environment and how different facets of their learning experience made a qualitative difference to how individuals enacted engagement. Drawing upon Sharon Pittaway's engagement framework, the article seeks to foreground student voice as the learners define …