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Articles 1 - 16 of 16

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Realising The Potential Of Peer-To-Peer Learning: Taming A Mooc With Social Media, Emily Rose Purser, Angela Towndrow, Ary Aranguiz Jan 2013

Realising The Potential Of Peer-To-Peer Learning: Taming A Mooc With Social Media, Emily Rose Purser, Angela Towndrow, Ary Aranguiz

Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) - Papers

ELearning and Digital Cultures, from the University of Edinburgh, was offered on the Coursera platform in January 2013. Over 40,000 enrolled, from every continent. The course was aimed mainly at educators wanting to “deepen their understanding of what it means to teach and learn in the digital age”. As participants, we experienced deep and significant learning, very much through social media. The peer-to-peer learning we engaged in and benefitted from was not traditionally organised ‘group work’ or micro-managed interaction, but something more fluid, open, student-initiated and led, that seems to have gone to the very core of what online learner …


The Added Value Of Understanding Informal Social Networks In An Adaptive Capacity Assessment: Explorations Of An Urban Water Management System In Indonesia, Silva Larson, Kim S. Alexander, Riyanti Djalante, Dewi G.C Kirono Jan 2013

The Added Value Of Understanding Informal Social Networks In An Adaptive Capacity Assessment: Explorations Of An Urban Water Management System In Indonesia, Silva Larson, Kim S. Alexander, Riyanti Djalante, Dewi G.C Kirono

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Social networks play an important role in environmental governance regimes, and they are a key to the adaptive capacity of systems that deal with complex, contextual and multi-faceted issues. Urban water systems are typical examples of complex systems facing many pressures, such as increased population, water quality deterioration, and climate change. This paper explores social networks of the key stakeholders engaged in urban water management, in Makassar City, Indonesia, in the context of exploring ways to improve management of an increasingly complex urban water system. Three social networks were explored; those constituted by formal and informal interactions and networks perceived …


Social Systems In Habitat-Specialist Reef Fishes: Key Concepts In Evolutionary Ecology, Marian Y.L Wong, Peter M. Buston Jan 2013

Social Systems In Habitat-Specialist Reef Fishes: Key Concepts In Evolutionary Ecology, Marian Y.L Wong, Peter M. Buston

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

A major focus in evolutionary ecology lies in explaining the evolution and maintenance of social systems. Although most theoretical formulations of social system evolution were initially inspired by studies of birds, mammals, and insects, incorporating a wider taxonomic perspective is important for testing deeply entrenched theory. Here, we review the contribution of studies of habitat-specialist coral reef fishes to our understanding of the evolutionary ecology of animal social systems. These fishes are ecologically similar but display remarkable variation in mating systems, social organization, and sex allocation strategies. By reviewing recent research, we demonstrate their amenability for experimental testing of key …


Wildfire Preparedness, Community Cohesion And Social-Ecological Systems, Tim Prior, Christine Eriksen Jan 2013

Wildfire Preparedness, Community Cohesion And Social-Ecological Systems, Tim Prior, Christine Eriksen

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The consequences of wildfires are felt in susceptible communities around the globe on an annual basis. Climate change predictions in places like the south-east of Australia and western United States suggest that wildfires may become more frequent and more intense with global climate change. Compounding this issue is progressive urban development at the peri-urban fringe (wildland-urban interface), where continued infrastructure development and demographic changes are likely to expose more people and property to this potentially disastrous natural hazard. Preparing well in advance of the wildfire season is seen as a fundamental behaviour that can both reduce community wildfire vulnerability and …


Social Media Use Among Pre-Service Primary Teachers, Wendy S. Nielsen, Rachel Moll, Teresa Farrell, Nicole Mcdaid, Garry F. Hoban Jan 2013

Social Media Use Among Pre-Service Primary Teachers, Wendy S. Nielsen, Rachel Moll, Teresa Farrell, Nicole Mcdaid, Garry F. Hoban

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This research explores preservice science teachers' social media practices as a first step in considering how to better utilize these tools in preservice teacher education. This is an important issue as these teachers will work with the next generation of students, who are likely to be even more connected through technology tools. We report data from a survey called the Social Media and Science Learning Survey that collects information about proficiencies and frequencies of use for a variety of social media tools for learning science. Results are from a cohort of 119 Australian primary teacher-education students in the context of …


Using Social Marketing To Promote Cold And Flu Prevention Behaviors On An Australian University Campus, Lyn Phillipson, Sandra C. Jones, Karen Larsen-Truong, Laura Robinson, Lance Barrie Jan 2013

Using Social Marketing To Promote Cold And Flu Prevention Behaviors On An Australian University Campus, Lyn Phillipson, Sandra C. Jones, Karen Larsen-Truong, Laura Robinson, Lance Barrie

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Cold and influenza transmission is a serious public health issue for universities. This case study describes a coordinated social marketing campaign that incorporated health messages and products. It was designed to motivate behavior change to prevent the spread of colds and influenza on a university campus. Methods: The aims of this multi-component intervention were to raise awareness of the importance of individual behavior in preventing the spread of colds and flu and to encourage staff and students to adopt three simple habits: hand washing, cough or sneeze in sleeve, and stay at home if sick. A repeated, cross-sectional survey …


The Influence Of The Social Context On Students In-Class Physical Activity, Dana J. Perlman Jan 2013

The Influence Of The Social Context On Students In-Class Physical Activity, Dana J. Perlman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of the social context, based within self-determination theory, on student's in-class physical activity. A total of 84 Year 11/12 physical education students were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups; Autonomy-supportive, Controlling and Balanced. Data were collected using a pretest/posttest design measuring in-class physical activity. Analysis of data used Repeated Measures ANOVAs to examine group differences. Results indicated significant differences for students engaged in the autonomy-supportive context in terms of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. These results indicate that instructional behaviors that align with an autonomy-supportive context can facilitate higher levels …


The Asthma Knowledge And Perceptions Of Older Australian Adults: Implications For Social Marketing Campaigns, Uwana Evers, Sandra C. Jones, Peter Caputi, Donald C. Iverson Jan 2013

The Asthma Knowledge And Perceptions Of Older Australian Adults: Implications For Social Marketing Campaigns, Uwana Evers, Sandra C. Jones, Peter Caputi, Donald C. Iverson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: The purpose of this research is to gain an understanding of the asthma perceptions of older adults and identify gaps in their asthma knowledge. Methods: In regional New South Wales, Australia, a stratified, random sample of 4066 adults, aged 55 years and over, both with and without an asthma diagnosis, completed a survey based on the Health Belief Model about asthma knowledge and perceptions. Results: Almost half of the sample had experienced symptoms of breathlessness in the past four weeks. Breathlessness was a predictor of lower health ratings and poorer mood. Older adults reported low susceptibility to developing asthma. …


Promoting Asthma Awareness To Older Adults: Formative Research For A Social Marketing Campaign, Uwana Evers, Sandra C. Jones, Peter Caputi, Donald C. Iverson Jan 2013

Promoting Asthma Awareness To Older Adults: Formative Research For A Social Marketing Campaign, Uwana Evers, Sandra C. Jones, Peter Caputi, Donald C. Iverson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The limited existing research on the asthma perceptions of older adults suggests that this population perceives asthma to be a childhood disease and, therefore, believe that they are not susceptible to developing the condition as an adult. The asthma mortality rate is much higher for older adults than for children, and there is considerable negative impact on health-related quality of life. However, health promotion regarding asthma is rarely aimed at this population. To address this issue, social marketing campaign messages and materials about asthma were developed for an older adult population based on quantitative survey data. Through a series of …


'Get Your Life Back': Process And Impact Evaluation Of An Asthma Social Marketing Campaign Targeting Older Adults, Uwana Evers, Sandra C. Jones, Donald C. Iverson, Peter Caputi Jan 2013

'Get Your Life Back': Process And Impact Evaluation Of An Asthma Social Marketing Campaign Targeting Older Adults, Uwana Evers, Sandra C. Jones, Donald C. Iverson, Peter Caputi

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Asthma in older adults is underdiagnosed and poorly self-managed. This population has little knowledge about the key symptoms, the prevalence among older adults, and the serious consequences of untreated asthma. The purpose of this study was to undertake a multifaceted evaluation of a social marketing campaign to increase asthma awareness among older adults in a regional Australian community. Methods: A cohort of older adults in an intervention region (n = 316) and a control region (n = 394) were surveyed immediately prior to and following the social marketing campaign. Campaign awareness, message recall, materials recognition, and actions taken as …


Integrating Building Information Modelling (Bim) Into Engineering Education: An Exploratory Study Of Industry Perceptions Using Social Network Data, Kriengsak Panuwatwanich, Mei Liang Wong, Jeung-Hwan Doh, Rodney A. Stewart, Timothy J. Mccarthy Jan 2013

Integrating Building Information Modelling (Bim) Into Engineering Education: An Exploratory Study Of Industry Perceptions Using Social Network Data, Kriengsak Panuwatwanich, Mei Liang Wong, Jeung-Hwan Doh, Rodney A. Stewart, Timothy J. Mccarthy

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Building Information Modelling (BIM) has been widely acknowledged as an emerging technological and procedural shift within the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. BIM represents a methodology to manage the building design and project data in digital format throughout a building lifecycle. With the implementation of BIM, the design, construction and operation processes can be better streamlined to improve project efficiency. Because of its far-reaching benefits, there is a current push for BIM by governments worldwide, including Australia. However, a significant lack of the understanding of BIM and industry readiness has been identified as a major hindrance; hence, there is …


Social Media Experiments: Scholarly Practice And Collegiality, Chris Gibson, Leah Maree Gibbs Jan 2013

Social Media Experiments: Scholarly Practice And Collegiality, Chris Gibson, Leah Maree Gibbs

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

We draw out and seek to build on two key insights in Kitchin et al. (2013), namely the possibilities of social media for transforming knowledge production practices and for generating new spaces of collegiality and communality. Most promising are capacities to shape the terms of academic labour and to disrupt binaries of core/periphery, research/impact and academic/public.


Social Mix And The Problematisation Of Social Housing, Rupert H. Doney, Pauline M. Mcguirk, Kathleen Mee Jan 2013

Social Mix And The Problematisation Of Social Housing, Rupert H. Doney, Pauline M. Mcguirk, Kathleen Mee

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Social housing in Australia is at a significant juncture. High levels of housing stress, increasing levels of socio-spatial polarisation and reduced government funding are posing complex policy challenges. Social mix policies are one response to these challenges, arising from the problematisation of social housing estates as socially excluded. This problematisation is examined through case studies of two Sydney social housing renewal projects: Telopea and Riverwood North. Drawing on interviews with government, private-sector and not-for-profit housing practitioners, the paper identifies two distinct discourses of social exclusion within this problematisation-culture of poverty discourse and equity discourse-that shape the implementation of social mix. …


Do Social Interactions Explain Ethnic Differences In Psychological Distress And The Protective Effect Of Local Ethnic Density? A Cross-Sectional Study Of 226 487 Adults In Australia, Xiaoqi Feng, Thomas Astell-Burt, Gregory Kolt Jan 2013

Do Social Interactions Explain Ethnic Differences In Psychological Distress And The Protective Effect Of Local Ethnic Density? A Cross-Sectional Study Of 226 487 Adults In Australia, Xiaoqi Feng, Thomas Astell-Burt, Gregory Kolt

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background A frequently proposed, but under-researched hypothesis is that ethnic density benefits mental health through increasing social interactions. We examined this hypothesis in 226 487 adults from 19 ethnic groups aged 45 years and older in Australia. Methods Multilevel logit regression was used to measure the association between ethnicity, social interactions, own-group ethnic density and scores of 22+ on the Kessler scale of psychological distress. Self-reported ancestry was used as a proxy for ethnicity. Measures of social interactions included a number of times in the past week were (i) spent with friends or family participants did not live with; (ii) …


Perceptions And Practices Of Adults With Asthma: A Social Cognitive Analysis, Kelly L. Andrews, Sandra C. Jones, Judy Mullan Jan 2013

Perceptions And Practices Of Adults With Asthma: A Social Cognitive Analysis, Kelly L. Andrews, Sandra C. Jones, Judy Mullan

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

This article describes a qualitative study that investigated the experiences, attitudes, and opinions of adults with asthma regarding self-managing their disease. Focus groups were conducted with 22 adults living in metropolitan and regional New South Wales, Australia. Key findings were that the perceived stigma of asthma, the need for social support, and the need for "asthma-friendly general practitioners" concerned participants more than formal self-management procedures such as written Asthma Action Plans and medication regimes. Social cognitive theory was used to explain the fluid relationship between persons with asthma, their environment, and their behavior in relation to self-management strategies and in …


Why Social Marketing? Because Knowledge Is Not Enough To Deter Secondary Supply Of Alcohol To Minors, Sandra C. Jones, Lance Barrie Jan 2013

Why Social Marketing? Because Knowledge Is Not Enough To Deter Secondary Supply Of Alcohol To Minors, Sandra C. Jones, Lance Barrie

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Australian teenagers are increasingly drinking at risky levels, defined as consuming seven or more alcohol drinks on a single day for males, and five or more for females (White and Smith, 2012). Alcohol consumption by adolescents presents serious health and social problems unique to their age group (Lubman, Yucel and Hall, 2007; National Centre on Addiction and Substance Abuse, 2002). A significant factor contributing to underage drinking is the 'secondary supply' of alcohol to minors (i.e. the supply of alcohol to minors by persons other than licensees/staff employed by licensed premises, such as parents, siblings and older peers). In a …