Showing papers by "Auckland University of Technology published in 1999"

Trying to improve communication and collaboration with information technology: An action research project which failed

Abstract: Discusses the use of information technology to facilitate communication and collaboration. In this action research project a groupware product called Lotus NotesTM was implemented to facilitate communication and collaboration amongst the senior management team. Although there was a real need for change, and the project received strong support from senior management on the basis that it would enable radical changes in coordination within the workgroup, these radical changes did not occur. The authors analyse the reasons for failure, and suggest that the project failed because of institutional forces which inhibited dramatic changes in work habits.

Connective Tissues: Matrix Composition and Its Relevance to Physical Therapy

Abstract: In the last 2 decades, the understanding of CT structure and function has increased enormously. It is now clear that the cells of the various CTs synthesize a variety of ECM components that act not only to underpin the specific biomechanical and functional properties of tissues, but also to regulate a variety of cellular functions. Importantly for the physical therapist, and as discussed above, CTs are responsive to changes in the mechanical environment, both naturally occurring and applied. The relative proportions of collagens and PGs largely determine the mechanical properties of CTs. The relationship between the fibril-forming collagens and PG concentration is reciprocal. Connective tissues designed to resist high tensile forces are high in collagen and low in total PG content (mostly dermatan sulphate PGs), whereas CTs subjected to compressive forces have a greater PG content (mostly chondroitin sulphate PGs). Hyaluronan has multiple roles and not only provides tissue hydration and facilitation of gliding and sliding movements but also forms an integral component of large PG aggregates in pressure-resisting tissues. The smaller glycoproteins help to stabilize and link collagens and PGs to the cell surface. The result is a complex interacting network of matrix molecules, which determines both the mechanical properties and the metabolic responses of tissues. Patients with CT problems affecting movement are frequently examined and treated by physical therapists. A knowledge of the CT matrix composition and its relationship to the biomechanical properties of these tissues, particularly the predictable responses to changing mechanical forces, offers an opportunity to provide a rational basis for treatments. The complexity of the interplay among the components, however, requires that further research be undertaken to determine more precisely the effects of treatments on the structure and function of CTs.

Function or feelings: factors in abandonment of assistive devices ∗

Abstract: The provision of assistive devices to improve functional independence is a well established component of occupational therapy practice. Recent research efforts in relation to assistive devices have indicated high levels of abandonment of devices in some client groups and for particular devices. Recommendations to address abandonment have focused primarily on training and follow-up of clients, apparently assuming abandonment relates to clients’ skill levels and confidence in using devices. This article argues that abandonment also relates to people’s perception of themselves as disabled, and to broader issues of identity. Factors for therapists to consider when working with persons who may benefit from assistive devices are suggested, based on concepts drawn from psychology, the social sciences, and consumer research.

Quality Monitoring in Higher Education: the impact on student learning

Abstract: This paper reports on a case study set in the context of one New Zealand educational institution, the Auckland Institute of Technology, which considered the impact of quality monitoring on the improvement and enhancement of student learning within two undergraduate degree programmes. Quality in higher education is multifaceted and complex, and although there are different perceptions of quality monitoring in higher education, quality, whatever its focus, has become the vehicle through which accountability is addressed. It is argued that the focus for quality should, in a rapidly changing world, be on the attributes of graduates, where transformation of the learner is central. Quality monitoring should be concerned with improvement and enhancement of student learning. In the study, quality monitoring processes had quite a narrow impact and were not concerned with the complexity of a whole teaching programme, or issues such as leadership or the culture in which students learn. The influence of the ...

Chinese migrants' mental health and adjustment to life in New Zealand

Abstract: Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify and assess the relative importance of predictors of the self-rated adjustment and psychiatric morbidity of recent Chinese migrants.Method: Chinese migrants (n = 271) living in Auckland and aged 15 years or older completed a postal questionnaire that included the Chinese Health Questionnaire (CHQ). The majority of respondents came from Hong Kong and Taiwan.Results: Most respondents did not report major adjustment problems. The psychiatric morbidity rate was 19%. Major predictors of experiencing problems included rejection by locals, being aged 26–35 years or over 45 years and low English proficiency. Major predictors of poor adjustment included unemployment, low English proficiency, lack of university education, younger age, shorter residency, expectations not met and regrets about coming to New Zealand. Predictors of minor mental disorder included regretting coming, female gender and younger age. For migrants resident 2 years or less, unemployment and u...

Sensitivity of Shah, Vanclay and Cooper's modified Barthel Index

Abstract: Objective: To investigate whether Shah, Vanclay and Cooper's modification of the Barthel Index improved its sensitivity to change.Design: Correlational study.Setting: School of Occupational Therapy at Auckland Institute of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.Subjects: One hundred subjects requiring rehabilitation following a stroke.Main outcome measures: Change in function which was measured using Shah, Vanclay and Cooper's (1989) modified Barthel Index and walking speed over 10 metres.Results: Five statistical analyses were undertaken, none of which demonstrated clear superiority of one measure over the other.Conclusions: The study did not indicate the modified Barthel Index to be more sensitive to change than the 20-point Barthel Index for this population. The statistical analysis strategies utilized are recommended for similar studies.

The effect of illness experience and demographic factors on children's illness representations

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relative contribution of personal illness experience, age, intelligence, and socioeconomic status on the sophistication of children's illness conceptualisations of colds and asthma. A structured interview based on six dimensions of illness conceptualisations was conducted with 182 children aged from 7–14 years. Findings revealed that age, verbal intelligence, and socioeconomic status were significant predictors of level of illness conceptualisation. However, even when controlling for these demographic factors, the 35 children who had experienced asthma had more sophisticated conceptualisations of this illness particularly along the dimensions of cause, timeline and control/cure, but not along consequences, and prevention dimensions. These findings suggest that child health promotion should take into account children's experience with illness as well as cognitive developmental factors. Emphasising issues around the consequences and prevention of ill...

Terminology for Red Cell Surface Antigens

Abstract: The Working Party met at Makuhari Messe, Japan on 31 March 1996. A few changes to the current classification, documented in Blood Group Terminology 1995 [1], were agreed and these are described below.

Changing Patterns of HRM and Employment Relations in New Zealand: The Large Hotel Industry:

Abstract: Relatively little is known about the overall extent to which New Zealand employers have taken up the opportunities afforded by the Employment Contracts Act 1991 to innovate with high commitment emp...

A Vision for Quality in Early Childhood Education

Abstract: This article discusses the different perceptions of quality in early childhood education. It argues that quality should be perceived as a process which is specific to the context of each service, a...

A Reply to Gambino's "An Epidemiologic Note on Verification Bias: Implications for Estimation of Rates"

Abstract: While two-stage designs in problem gambling research are expensive and relatively difficult to execute, they have the potential to yield more accurate prevalence estimates as well as valuable additional information about gambling and problem gambling in the community. However, gains in precision are heavily dependent on the accuracy of the screening methods used and the sample sizes involved. Sound practice requires reliable information about the variances and confidence levels associated with different screens. In the spirit of contributing to the ongoing dialog about ways to improve the measurement of problem gambling, we examine several reasons to question whether the revised estimates offered by Gambino are in fact an improvement.

A new deep sea barnacle, Tetrachaelasma tasmanicum sp. nov. (Cirripedia: Balanomorpha) from the South Tasman Rise, South Pacific Ocean

Abstract: A new deep sea balanomorph, Tetrachaelasma tasmanicum sp. nov., is described. This new record is based on numerous disarticulated plates, from dredge samples around deep‐sea seamounts on the South Tasman Rise. This is the deepest known occurrence of the Balanomorpha, and the first record of Tetrachaelasma from the Pacific realm. An overview of the biogeography, including aspects of the palaeontology of deep sea balano‐morphs is provided. A map showing station localities and a list of deep sea cirripedes recovered from the South and East Tasman Rise during the 1995 Rig Seismic cruise, are included.

A collaborative learning trial between New Zealand and Sweden-using Lotus Notes Domino in teaching the concepts of Human Computer Interaction

Abstract: This paper reports the results of a collaborative learning exercise between students at Auckland Institute of Technology and Uppsala University. The exercise was conducted using both a Lotus Notes Domino™ collaborative database and electronic mail to support students working in remote groups to perform a common task. Issues concerning the logistics of such an exercise, student participation and evaluations of the process, ethical considerations and the quality of the learning process are discussed. Some conclusions are drawn concerning the value of Group Ware technology to support this form of collaborative learning, and suggestions are made for future developments.

Malarial antibodies in Auckland blood donors.

Abstract: AIM To determine the malarial exposure characteristics of "malarial risk" blood donors and measure the potential infectivity of their donations using a commercially available malarial antibody screening kit. METHOD Malarial risk donors were identified according to standard protocols, questioned as to their degree of exposure to malaria and blood samples were tested for malarial antibodies using an enzyme immunoassay kit. The kit used detects IgG antibodies to P. falciparum, shows 50% crossreactivity with P. vivax and some crossreactivity with P. ovale. Antibody positive samples were further checked by a direct immunochromatographic test for P. falciparum. RESULTS We found 1.7% of the donors who were classified as a "malarial risk" to be positive for IgG malarial antibodies. None of these antibody positive samples was positive by the direct immunochromatographic test for P. falciparum. CONCLUSION These results indicate that none of these donors tested were a risk of transmitting P. falciparum, the major and most serious cause of transfusion transmitted malaria. The introduction of malarial testing of malarial risk blood donors in Auckland, currently deferred for plasma donation only, could potentially recover 2300 units of red cells per year.

Emotional competence in professional communication.

Abstract: This paper explores the notion of emotional competence for professional practitioners and the impact of different levels of emotional competence on communication in mental health nursing practice. It comments on available approaches to assessing competence in this area and on factors that obstruct and impair such assessment. Practitioner awareness of both the concept of emotional competence and its assessment is examined at a professional and personal level. Strategies for the achievement and maintenance of effective communication and emotionally competent professional practice are proposed.

Geomentality: Reframing the Landscape

Abstract: This work is part of a wider investigation into a notion of landscape that includes the sense of belonging to, remembering and viewing land and space. It has come about as a result of the need for a language of interpretation that is effective in relation to the work of artists dealing with land and space who may not be primarily concerned with its appearance. The paper is set out in the form of four conceptual maps of the land. It is structured according to these four sites in order to present different sides of a model of thinking about landscape painting that encompasses historical perspectives, cultural positions and individual artistic orientation, all of which are present to varying degrees in a particular work. For the fourth mapping of this concept, the author’s own work will be used as an example. The paper does not set out to deal with the history of landscape painting, nor with the philosophy or theory of landscape painting. It is an attempt to synthesise a few ideas from different disciplines into a discourse that could serve as a model for thinking and speaking about the intentions and concerns of contemporary artists dealing with notions of land. It attempts to locate this contemporary practice in relation to the tradition of landscape painting on one hand, and on the other, in the context of a decentred and global spatial network.

"Eeating Our Seed Corn" or restricting crop diversity?

Abstract: ~ h e US phenome • non of postgraduate students being poached by industry before they have completed their studies, has been termed by Peter Denning as "eating our seed com." [2] Meeting today's demands for industry may rob academic inst i tut ions of capable and qualified staff to teach computing tomorrow, or even today. This in turn may have local and global societal impacts. While the trends are disturbing, and the concerns valid, perhaps it is time to revis i t some assumpt ions about the nature of academic work and what background is required to best prepare staff for an academic career in computing. Ernest Boyer in his critique of the traditional "teaching vs. research," [1] dichotomy of the academic role, prefers to emphasise the concept of scholarship, and discusses four forms of scholarship as a broader term for covering the d imensions of an educa tor ' s job. "Surely, scholarship means engaging in original research. But the work of the scholar also means stepping back from one ' s investigation, looking for connections, building bridges between theory and practice, and communicating one's knowledge effectively to students. Specifically we conclude that the work of the professorate might be thought of as having four separate, yet overlapping functions. These are: the scholarship of discovery; the scholarship of integration; the scholarship of application; and the scholarship of teaching" [ 1 ]. The perspective of the Research University seems to focus heavily on the scholarship of discovery; with less concern for the other three forms of scholarship. The scholarship of integration with its emphasis on transdisciplinary forms of learning often vies with the es tabl ished boundaries and distinctions of the disciplines. The scholarship of application emphasizes linking theory and practice and is often underrated and difficult to realise in the rarefied, abstract and specialized world of the academy. The scholarship of teaching does not fare well in the model in which teaching and research const i tute the two e lements of the academic 's job. It has been suggested that the scholarship of teaching "is unlikely to increase your salary, save your tenure decision, or increase your professional mobil i ty significantly and may i f pursued with too much enthusiasm undermine these." [5] If we accept a broader concept of scholarship, does this not have impl ica t ions not only for the profess ional pract ice of the professoriate, but also for the hiring practices of the inst i tut ions? What knowledge, skills and abilities must our educators in computing possess in order to be effective? Furthermore, what is the role of the computing disciplines in the university, why do we teach them, and what are the expecta t ions of our societies and students? Should for instance, theoret ical computer science in the university be taught simply as a subject in its own right, with its own knowledge base. Should it be thought of in a liberal arts sense as akin to pure mathematics, the classics or ph i losophy s imply a valuable subject for s tudy and broadening of the mind, deepening perspect ive, cr i t ical th inking and reasoning abilities? Do we also believe the academy is the only avenue for the progress of knowledge in computing? Or, if we are "eating our seed corn" by having our graduates siphoned off into industry rather than the academy, do we have some assumption that we are educat ing tomor row ' s pract i t ioners when we teach the d isc ip l ine? If pract i t ioner educat ion is to be emphasised then the knowledge, skills and abilities required of educators may well be different than the traditionally accepted academic badge of courage of the PhD. Gal-Ezer and Harel [3] for instance, assert that "it is reasonably obvious that college level teachers must be equipped with a doctoral degree in CS." Yet in New Zealand the Polytechnic sector has for many years been successfully educating both new and active IT practitioners with a base of staff characterised by either no degrees or a first level degree only, frequently in another discipl ine . The basis for expertise has been derived from years as a practit ioner in the discipline, or years as a prac t i s ing educator who has acquired the discipline knowledge. For instance, one recently retired teacher in our institution with an undergraduate degree in operations research had joined the comput ing industry in the midnineteen fifties. In his career with an oil company and subsequently IBM, he developed systems when nobody knew what a programmer was, and among his many roles successful ly managed a country level team of systems engineers and a data processing bureau. How does one rank such a wealth of experience and exper t ise against an academic qualification such as a PhD? Such a background carries considerable credibil i ty with our diverse student body in the Polytechnic sector, which ranges from school leavers to mature adults. Adults often have many years in the worlctbrce, and may possess other profess ional qual i f icat ions or pos tgraduate qual i f icat ions in other disciplines. The sector, which had been excluded from degree provision until deregulation of education in the early 1990's, is increasingly offering degree level courses. These are genera l ly applied, vocationally directed courses of study, mostly in business computing but cover a broad range of CS, IS, CE and SE topics. The mix of staffing has also been affected by this shift. There has been an increasing need for more qualified staff to become engaged in research activity

A Decade of Change for Tertiary Education and Science Research in New Zealand: Who Benefits?.

Abstract: The paper considers the key changes in tertiary education research and the national science regime under neo-liberal governments in New Zealand. It tracks the moves in both systems towards mounting contestability and integration for increased economic performance. This investigation questions whether government policies around knowledge production will be successful in giving New Zealand entree into the much touted "knowledge society" and whether this is a desirable goal for the country, anyway. Finally, it looks at the other possibilities for the production of knowledge and the conditions within which it occurs. (Contains 45 references.) (Author/SAH) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. 1 Monday, May 21, 2001 PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) Abstract A Decade of Change for Tertiary Education and Science Research Page:1A Decade of Change for Tertiary Education and Science Research Page:1 A Decade of Change for Tertiary Education and Science Research in New Zealand: Who Benefits?

Guided by an Invisible Bulldozer? A Critical Analysis of an Economic Approach to the Resource Management Act 1991

Abstract: In a series of 1997/1998 Environment Court decisions which include Marlborough Ridge v Marlborough District Council [1998] NZRMA 73; Carter Holt Harvey v Tasman District Council W7/98, 4 March 1998; Boon v Marlborough District Council [1998] NZRMA 305; and Baker Boys v Christchurch City Council [1998] NZRMA 433, New Zealand Environment Court Judges Jackson and Kenderdine adopted an novel “economic approach” to the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA), and in particular, sections 5, 7(b) and 32. This paper critically analyses the Jackson/Kenderdine economic approach to the RMA, and attempts to answer four questions raised by the decisions: (a) where did the economic approach to the RMA originate from? (b) How does the approach relate to previous jurisprudence on ss5, 7, 32 and the role of economics under the RMA generally? (c) What are the policy implications an increased focus on economics in the RMA? (d) What are the practical implications (particularly for the Environment Court) of an increased use of economic theory and evidence in resource management litigation?