Digital Commons Network^™

Fostering Students' Self Assessment Skills For Sustainable Learning, Kalayanee Singh, J Terry

EDU-COM International Conference

Enhancing academic quality and the employability of graduates are among the most frequently mentioned driving forces behind global higher education improvement initiatives for the past two decades (Garfield 1994; Gibbs 1999; Harvey and Green 1994; Reichart and Tauch 2003; Edwards 1997). This has contributed to shifts in teaching, learning and assessment practices to enhance students‘ academic competencies and generic attributes as compatible goals of higher education and employers. Consequently the role of assessment of student learning in higher education is continually being broadened to contribute to sustainable learning.

A Reflection On The Class Teaching Sequence With Particular Reference To History Classes In Spain, Nicolás Martínez-Valcárcel, Pedro Miralles-Martínez, M. Begoña Alfageme-González

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This contribution reflects empirical data arising from a study based on the testimony of 1523 students referring to the time when they studied history in secondary school. It forms part of an on-going inter-disciplinary research project. By means of open activities, information was compiled on the History classes received by students studying Bachillerato (two-year pre-university course) in Spanish secondary schools. The data, therefore, reflect students’ views of the subject and the way in which it was imparted. The article will analyse the sequence of actions followed by teachers in the classroom (initial phase, development or application phase, and final phase). …

The Development Of A Test Of Letter And Number Reversal Tendency For Primary School Children, Janet Richmond, Ted Brown

ECU Posters

Development of a standardised instrument to assess visual perceptual skills or primary age school children using letters and numbers

Student Motivation And Attitude Towards Virtual Versus Traditional Learning Based On Cognitive Styles, Wacheerapan Kaewprapan, Surachai Suksakulchai

EDU-COM International Conference

The purpose of this study was to identify differences in student motivation and attitude in relation to cognitive styles between two types of instruction (virtual and traditional). The study‘s participants were 40 first-year students enrolled in the Metal Technology Department at Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon Thailand. All students were doing a virtual reality module within one course and traditional lecture within another. The students completed a cognitive style test (Group Embedded Figures Test) which classified students as either field-dependent (FD) or field-independent (FI). Students also completed a questionnaire designed to measure motivation and attitude. The sample included 20 …

The Dimensionality Of Emotion And Individual Differences, Leah Braganza

Theses : Honours

This paper is a critical review of the research on the relative contribution of valence and arousal to the effect of emotion on performance. It is well accepted that emotion influences aspects of cognitive performance, but there are inconsistent results concerning the relative salience of valence and arousal. Some authors support the idea that valence, rather than arousal, is the primary contributor to this effect of emotion on performance. This review analysed the methodology used in studies supporting the primary role of valence, and this analysis revealed that the two dimensions may have been confounded. The literature suggested that arousal …

Family Support Within A Child Care Centre: A Case Study, Rikki Maynard

Theses : Honours

This review explored the effects of stress in the family environment and the role that family support plays in reducing this stress. Specifically, research concerning the role that child care workers play in providing support to families who utilise their services was examined. The literature showed that there are many stressors facing families today and that the experience of stress in the family environment can have a detrimental effect on children's developmental outcomes. While the literature showed that experiencing social support can reduce stress in the family environment, it was also found that many families face isolation from such forms …

The Relationship Between Nicotine Dependence And Symptoms Of Anxiety, Depression And Stress In A Therapeutic Community For Alcohol And Other Drug Rehabilitation, Thomas Hopkins

Theses : Honours

Smoking tobacco is the largest single risk factor for premature death in developed countries. It is also associated with the greatest economic cost of all drugs in Australian society. In addition to the health and economic consequences associated with smoking, it has also been associated with mental health problems. Smoking has been associated with anxiety, depression and stress, as well as more pervasive disorders such as panic disorder and agoraphobia. It is not clear whether smoking contributes to mental health problems or individuals with mental health problems smoke to alleviate symptoms. It may be there are genetic factors that contribute …

Host Community Acculturation Expectations Toward Immigrant Groups; An Evaluation Of Theoretical Models, Perspectives, And Factors Encouraging The Development Of Multicultural Societies, Carmen Vakis

Theses : Honours

The ability of immigrants to integrate into a new society is dependent on a number of factors including the strength of an immigrant's ethnic identity, willingness of the immigrant to accept the beliefs, values, and cultural practices of the host society, and attitudes of members of the host society toward immigrants. This paper reviews research on attitudes toward immigration, in relation to theoretical approaches including Berry's (2003) model of acculturation expectations. Factors discussed throughout this review as contributing to host community acceptance of immigrants include cultural awareness and understanding, preconceived misconceptions and stereotypes, and perceptions of threat to resources and …

Bridging The Theory To Practice Gap Using Performance Based Simulation, Christopher Churchouse, Cobie Rudd

EDU-COM International Conference

Simulation is a technique, not a technology, to replace or amplify real experiences with guided experiences, often immersive in nature, that evoke or replicate substantial aspects of the real world in a fully interactive fashion. (Gaba, 2004). There has been a growing acceptance on the use of simulation in teaching cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), cardiology skills, anaesthesia skills, and crisis management largely focusing on responding to physiological events. However its use in other health and education arenas is less common due to their complexity of characterisation. There are a number of reasons for this: Complex performance based scenarios can be difficult …

Embedding Indigenous Content Into Qualitative Research In Psychology In Reflective Case Studies: A Case For Social Change, Andrew Guilfoyle

EDU-COM International Conference

Australian universities recognise cultural competency as an essential attribute for graduates. Within this context, The Australian Psychology Accreditation Committee (APAC) has enforced requirements for students within psychology programmes to have access to Indigenous content. Though Indigenous participation rates are low, the inclusion of Indigenous content or what is often labeled ‗Indigenous psychology‘ acts at least as a symbolic gesture and important step forward in reconciling the massively disadvantaged position of Indigenous Australians. However there is little to date in that way of guides to help develop appropriate teaching methods to include such content more substantially in programmes. This paper reflects …

Moving Beyond National Borders: Globalization, Higher Education, And International Politics, Reza Simbar

EDU-COM International Conference

Globalization has at least four far reaching implications for higher education. First is the constriction of monies available for discretionary activities, such as post secondary education. Second is the growing importance of techno science and fields closely involved with the markets, particularly the international markets? Third is the tightening relationship between multinational corporations and state agencies concerned with product development and innovations. Fourth is the increased focus of multinationals and established industrial countries on global intellectual property strategies. This paper argues interconnections among globalization, higher education and international politics, their different impacts and implications. In this paper the author offers …

Teacher‟S Autonomy Support And Esl Classroom Engagement: The Road Less Traveled, Rajaletchumi Thaliah, Rosna Awang Hashim

EDU-COM International Conference

This study investigated the construct of Teacher Autonomy Support Scale (TASS) in the context of ESL classroom in Malaysia and how it influenced student‘s classroom engagement. The sample comprised 378 students from 14 day schools in a rural area. An empirical study (N=378) was conducted to explore aspects of reliability and validity of the TASS. Confirmatory Factor Analysis via AMOS (7.0) showed evidence of convergent validity of the newly developed scale. A covariance structural analysis shows that teacher‘s autonomy support is a significant predictor for cognitive and behavioural engagement for students in ESL classroom.

Cross-Cultural Perspectives Of Knowledge Sharing For Different Virtual Classroom Environments: A Case Study Of Thai Students In Thai And Australian Universities, N Thongprasert, J M. Cross

EDU-COM International Conference

Collaborative learning has been accepted as an effective learning style that can enhance students‘ and instructors‘ ability to create knowledge and develop understanding. To enhance an effective collaboration learning environment needs the sharing of similar knowledge, background and experience through information communication technologies (ICT). There are a number of ways in which culture influences the use of these information technologies. The cultural characteristics, which can be viewed as the influencing factors on knowledge sharing in a virtual classroom, are power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism and collectivism. The main purpose of this study was to investigate how the differences in cultural …

Students Ranking, Based On Their Abilities On Objective Type Test: Comparison Of Ctt And Irt, Amir Zaman, Atiq-Ur-Rehman Kashmiri, Mamoon Mubarak, Arshad Ali

EDU-COM International Conference

The focus of this paper is to investigate the idea of differential ability for students ranking on a multiple choice test in the subject of physics at secondary level. The weakness of Classical Test Theory (CTT) in measuring the ability with continuity and consequently its ranking ability of students on the basis of ability has been highlighted in this paper. In CTT, a student attempting a difficult question and an easy question get equal credit which is not the case in Item Response Theory (IRT). Moreover in CTT two students with equal raw score have the same ranking while in …

Retirement Savings Investment Strategy : Member Choices And Performance, Paul Gerrans, Marilyn Clark-Murphy, Craig P. Speelman

Research outputs pre 2011

Three crucial ingredients influence how much individuals will have to fund retirement income needs: how much they contribute to savings, how long they save for, and the performance of these savings. This paper focuses on the issue of performance, and how individuals perform when they are given the choice of making their own investment strategy for their retirement savings contributions. An empirical examination using a large sample gathered from four Australian superannuation funds is utilised and finds that on average members underperform their own fund’s default option both in raw returns and on a riskadjusted basis. For trustees and regulators …

Diversity: A Longitudinal Study Of How Student Diversity Relates To Resilience And Successful Progression In A New Generation University, Adrianne Kinnear, Mary Boyce, Heather Sparrow, Sharon Middleton, Marguerite Cullity

Research outputs pre 2011

This project used the voices of diverse cohorts of students to describe their learning journeys as they progressed through the later years of their degree and into the workforce. The project combined quantitative data from a large student sample with qualitative data from a series of case study narratives to document the students’ perceptions about their learning experiences, the factors underpinning progression in their studies and their transition into the workplace. The project has attempted to answer the question: does diversity matter? Do students of different diversities progress differently, and are there differences in the factors enhancing progression and developing …

Review Of The Social And Emotional Wellbeing Of Indigenous Australian Peoples, Darren Garvey

Research outputs pre 2011

The first case of diabetes among Indigenous people was recorded in Adelaide in 1923. Records prior to this time showed that Indigenous people were fit, lean, and did not suffer from any form of metabolic condition, which were largely believed to be a characteristic of European populations. The earliest detailed studies investigating the development of diabetes in Indigenous populations were not undertaken, however, until the early 1960s. These and subsequent studies found a significant correlation between the development of a ‘westernised’ lifestyle and the levels of type 2 diabetes in the Indigenous population.

Since that time, type 2 diabetes has …

Review Of Illicit Drug Use Among Indigenous Peoples, Michelle Catto, Neil Thomson

Research outputs pre 2011

Drug misuse has significant impacts on families and communities and is a major concern for Australia. The misuse of licit drugs (such as alcohol and tobacco) continues to have the most significant negative impacts, but the use of illicit drugs is also a contributing factor in ill-health, injuries, violence and criminal behaviour, workplace problems and the disruption of family, community and the broader society. The greater level of substance misuse in the Indigenous population reflects the history of dispossession and oppression of Indigenous people; their entrenched social and economic marginalisation requires holistic and well-funded strategies to address the underlying social …

Falls, Depression And Antidepressants In Later Life: A Large Primary Care Appraisal, Ngaire Kerse, Leon Flicker, Jon J. Pfaff, Brian Draper, Nicola T. Lautenschlager, Moira Sim, John Snowdon, Osvaldo P Almeida

Research outputs pre 2011

Background: Depression and falls are common and co-exist for older people. Safe management of each of these conditions is important to quality of life.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was used to examine medication use associated with injurious and non-injurious falls in 21,900 community-dwelling adults, aged 60 years or over from 383 Australian general practices recruited for the DEPS-GP Project. Falls and injury from falls, medication use, depressive symptoms (Primary Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)), clinical morbidity, suicidal ideation and intent, health status (SF-12 Health Survey), demographic and lifestyle information was reported in a standardised survey.

Findings: Respondents were 71.8 years (sd 7.7) …

We've Thrown Away The Pens, But Are They Learning? Using Blogs In Higher Education, Katrina Strampel, Ron Oliver

Research outputs pre 2011

In today’s university classrooms, “the time of restricting students products and learning opportunities to ink on paper are past” (Siegle, 2007). Blogs are only one of many computer-mediated technologies starting to dominate blended and wholly online courses. Most people assume that using these technologies, because it is what the students want, will translate into increased learning opportunities. As the literature continuously asserts, however, learning, and especially reflection, does not just happen (Boud, Keogh, & Walker, 1985). It seems imperative, therefore, that extra measures are taken when any technology is being implemented in a university classroom to ensure high levels of …

Regional Differences In Lumbar Spinal Posture And The Influence Of Low Back Pain, Tim Mitchell, Peter O'Sullivan, Angus Burnett, Leon Straker, Anne Smith

Research outputs pre 2011

Background: Spinal posture is commonly a focus in the assessment and clinical management of low back pain (LBP) patients. However, the link between spinal posture and LBP is not fully understood. Recent evidence suggests that considering regional, rather than total lumbar spine posture is important. The purpose of this study was to determine; if there are regional differences in habitual lumbar spine posture and movement, and if these findings are influenced by LBP. Methods: One hundred and seventy female undergraduate nursing students, with and without LBP, participated in this cross-sectional study. Lower lumbar (LLx), Upper lumbar (ULx) and total lumbar …

Effect Of A 5 Min Cold Water Immersion Recovery On Exercise Performance In The Heat, Jeremiah Peiffer, Chris Abbiss, Bradley Wall, Greig Watson, Kazunori Nosaka, Paul Laursen

Research outputs pre 2011

Background This study examined the effect of a 5-min cold-water immersion (14°C) recovery intervention on repeated cycling performance in the heat. Methods 10 male cyclists performed two bouts of a 25-min constant-paced (254 (22) W) cycling session followed by a 4-km time trial in hot conditions (35°C, 40% relative humidity). The two bouts were separated by either 15 min of seated recovery in the heat (control) or the same condition with 5-min cold-water immersion (5th—10th minute), using a counterbalanced cross-over design (CP1TT1 → CWI or CON → CP2TT2). Rectal temperature was measured immediately before and after both the constant-paced sessions …

A Holistic Approach To Establishing An Effective Learning Environment For Psychology, Lynne Cohen, Paul Chang, Julie Ann Pooley, Lisbeth Pike

Research outputs pre 2011

The impetus for the Enhancing Quality and Learning (EQUAL) programme evolved out of concerns held by the staff in the School of Psychology at Edith Cowan University (ECU) regarding the difficulties encountered by first year psychology students and the subsequent low retention rate of these students in the psychology course. The EQUAL programme focused on easing the transition of high school students into university studies by enhancing the social support networks of commencing students. The programme was designed to be an holistic approach to enhancing a sense of belonging to the School of Psychology and comprised seven components. These are …

Is It Meaningless To Talk About 'The Internet'?, Lelia Rosalind Green

Research outputs pre 2011

This paper suggests that there is no longer any fixed meaning to the term 'Internet'. Instead, the Internet is created anew in the hands of each individual user and reflects their prioritie!i and interests. At the same time, the dynamism of Internet innovation and development is such that a burgeoning range of options has become available, allowing Internet users to customise and create their online environment to approxima.te a personal manifestation of what we might call, in a generic sense, 'their Internet'. In part, this shift has been reflected in something as mundane as the everyday usage of the word. …

Systemic Problems In Information Technology Adoption And Use: A Systems Thinking Perspective, Syed Arshad Raza, Craig Standing

Research outputs pre 2011

Understanding and creating the conditions under which information systems will be embraced by human organizations (thinking systems) remain a high-priority research issue. Despite numerous benefits associated with Information Technology (IT), there exist some intervening factors (systemic problems or issues) that impede technology’s widespread adoption and use in organisations. Established information technology adoption models like TAM, TRA etc. view technology adoption from the users’ perspective without taking a strategic perspective into account. As an alternative focus we suggest that addressing systemic problems can be a method of reducing fundamental barriers to organizational progress. This paper presents some real life examples of …

Men Of Steel Or Plastic Cops: The Use Of Ethnography As A Transformative Agent, Christine Teague, David Leith

Research outputs pre 2011

The Perth urban rail system, like many other rail systems in Australia and overseas, is subject to crime and anti-social behaviour around the railway environs from a small minority of the travelling public. The transit officers, who form part of the security section of the Public Transport Authority, are the people employed to deal with these incidents, which can result in transit officers being injured. To fully understand the violence and antisocial behaviour that they deal with on a regular basis and develop strategies to reduce this risk of injury, it was necessary to enter their world. The researcher in …

The Potential Role Of Life-Writing Therapy In Facilitating 'Recovery' For Those With Mental Illness, Philip Max Neilsen, Ffion Murphy

Research outputs pre 2011

This article addresses the experience of designing and conducting life-writing workshops for a group of clients with severe mental illness; the aim of this pilot study was to begin to determine whether such writing about the self can aid in individual ‘recovery’, as that term is understood by contemporary health professionals. A considerable amount has been written about the potential of creative writing in mental health therapy; the authors of this article provide a brief summary of that literature, then of the concept of ‘recovery’ in a psychology and arts therapy context. There follows a first-hand account by one of …

Creating A Web-Based Knowledge-Building Team: Design Of Tasks, Scaffolds And Social Affordances, Catherine Mcloughlin, Joseph Luca

Research outputs pre 2011

In a blended learning environment, where students undertake professional skills development in the workplace, a flexible environment is designed in order to support problem solving in project management. The design of the environment, informed by socio-cultural theory, was intended to support knowledge building among students, and in particular to support exchange of ideas, peer review and commentary on solutions presented to problems, and a reflective space for exchange of ideas. The online environment incorporates a number of functional affordances that scaffold knowledge exchange, collaborative tasks and peer commentary. The design features of the online site are described and a proposed …

Cultural Factors Affecting Smoking Intentions In Sri Lankan Immigrant Adolescents: An Exploratory Study, Raguragavan Ganeshasundaram, Nadine Henley

Research outputs pre 2011

This paper reports a small exploratory investigation into smoking intentions amongst Sri Lankan immigrant adolescents living in Perth, Western Australia. Four focus group discussions were conducted to explore how cultural values are expressed in this group's beliefs and attitudes towards smoking and non-smoking and how these values may influence their smoking-related behaviour. Females and males attached similar negative values to smoking per se. However, generally, males saw peers' smoking as a way to be cool and popular while females saw peers' smoking as a way to solve stress and other personal problems. Males had strong positive associations with their favourite …

Domestic Space: Virtually Underestimated?, Julie Dare

Research outputs pre 2011

This paper discusses the concept of domestic space as a transformative communications environment; a space in which relationships among individuals, families and ultimately the community are sustained, and in some cases transformed. Drawing on a research project currently being conducted in Western Australia, this paper explores communication within domestic space from an historical (Fischer, 1992; Moyal, 1992) and empirical perspective (Frissen, 1995; Holloway & Green, 2004), and contends that the seemingly mundane quality of the domestic sphere has resulted in it being underestimated as an avenue for research. Moreover, a research focus on young people’s uptake of information and communications …